Integrating Mental Health in Education: What Schools Must Do?
- Dec. 3, 2025, 12:35 p.m.
On Monday (27.10.2025), the Supreme Court addressed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to update them on the guidelines implemented on the uniform mental health policy and student suicides in educational institutions within 8 weeks. A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vikram Nath gave 8 weeks to submit a compliance affidavit describing the steps taken to impose these guidelines.
The SC was hearing a case on the compliance condition of the guidelines it formed in its July 25 judgment. The SC advocated that all states and UTs inform in that ruling within two months, rules mandating student-protection norms, grievance-redressal mechanisms and registration for all private training centres.
The bench was advised that the July verdict needed the Centre to file a compliance affidavit within ninety days during Monday’s hearing. The bench addressed that all states and UTs be included as respondents and gave them 8 weeks to file their reactions, and it planned the next hearing for January 2026.
Observing the increasing suicide numbers in educational institutions, the court stressed the urgent requirement to instruct on the severe mental-health situation striking students and published countrywide guidelines to manage the problem. The court also observed a regulatory and legislative vacuum in the country regarding an enforceable and unified framework for stopping student suicides in coaching centres, educational institutions, and other student-centric areas.
The bench declared that these instructions will stay in effect and remain in place until qualified authorities enact the right laws or regulatory frameworks, while publishing 15 guidelines. The court instructed all educational institutions to take over and carry out an equal mental-health policy inspired by the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative, the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the ‘Ummeed’ draft guidelines.
It mentioned that this policy must be reviewed, updated and made available to the public on notice boards and institutional websites. The court also admitted that the Centre has taken various preventive measures already. The Ministry of Education published the ‘Ummeed’ draft guidelines 2023 to stop student suicides.
It stated that the Ministry established ‘Manodarpan’ to help students’ well-being and mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as well. The judgment on July 25 originated from an appeal challenging an Andhra Pradesh HC verdict that denied transferring the probe into the unnatural death of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant to the CBI.
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