Amit Kumar v. Union of India 2026 INSC 62 - Higher Educational Institutions - Student Suicides - Directions Issued

Higher Educational Institutions - Student Suicides - The Supreme Court, acknowledging a surge in student suicides, reviewed an interim report from a National Task Force that identified systemic stressors in Higher Educational Institutions—ranging from inadequate support systems, ragging, academic pressure, financial delays, and poor mental health services—to fragmented implementation of existing policies. Exercising Article 142, the Court issued directions including mandatory police reporting of any student suicide or unnatural death, annual reporting to regulators, filling faculty and leadership vacancies within four months, clearing scholarship backlogs promptly, ensuring round-the-clock medical access, and strict compliance with UGC regulations on equity, anti‑ragging, sexual harassment, and grievance redressal. The Court also asked the Task Force to develop model SOPs for wellbeing audits, faculty training, and campus mental health services, aiming for a unified, enforceable student well‑being framework.