Medical colleges must now report student suicides monthly, NMC directive

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed all medical colleges to maintain updated records of student suicides and unnatural deaths, and to submit a certified Action Taken Report (ATR) every month. The directive, issued following Supreme Court directions on student mental health and safety, has been marked “MOST URGENT” by the regulator, which has asked institutions to accord it top priority.

The NMC has also instructed medical colleges to fill vacant faculty and key administrative posts within four months. Institutions are expected to conduct special recruitment drives for reserved posts. The compliance format further requires colleges to ensure 24x7 access to qualified medical assistance, either on campus or within a radius of one kilometre.

The move comes amid rising concerns over student suicides in India. According to an Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) presentation by Dr Om Prakash, Professor of Psychiatry, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 14,488 student deaths by suicide were recorded in 2024, an increase of 4.3% from 13,892 in 2023. The number has risen by around 80% over the past decade, from 8,068 in 2014 to 14,488 in 2024. More than 1.15 lakh student suicides were recorded between 2015 and 2024.

Under the new reporting format, for each suicide or unnatural death, colleges must provide details such as the student's course and year, date and place of occurrence, police intimation, FIR status, institutional inquiry and corrective measures taken. The NMC has also requested department-wise details of sanctioned, filled and vacant faculty posts, non-teaching vacancies, and key administrative positions like dean, director, medical superintendent, registrar, wardens and counsellors.

The directive underscores the role of faculty in identifying at-risk students. The IHBAS presentation describes faculty as “gatekeepers” who can often detect changes in attendance, academic performance, withdrawal or behaviour. It advises faculty to recognise warning signs, approach distressed students, ask directly about suicidal thoughts, facilitate referral to mental health professionals and follow up, while not taking on the role of therapists.

The presentation also cautions against attributing a student's suicide to a single trigger such as examination failure, relationship problems or social media. It identifies multiple contributing factors, including academic pressure, fear of failure, bullying, ragging or harassment, discrimination, social isolation and financial difficulties. These factors, the presentation notes, can collectively increase a student's vulnerability.

Medical colleges are now required to submit the certified ATR monthly to the NMC. The commission said the information will be consolidated to monitor compliance with the Supreme Court's directions and submitted to the Ministry of Education as required. This structured reporting mechanism is expected to bring greater accountability and ensure that mental health support systems in medical colleges are strengthened.