On Friday, August 8, 2025, the National duty force (NTF), which was created by the Supreme Court to address student suicides and mental welfare in higher education institutions, launched a website to collect inputs from stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, mental health professionals and public members.
Earlier this year, NTF was founded in the context of the parents of the parents who died in suicide, both of the planned caste backgrounds of the parents who died in suicide, including IIt Delhi’s Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar. The petitions also included Dalit students Rohith Vemula (2016) and Payal Tadvi (2019) families. The court formed its duty in March.
NTF members told Hindu In addition to the newly initiated surveys of the panel, the institute visits, stakeholders and expert meetings. A member said that NTF has visited six institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru, including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ramjas College, Indian Institute of Science and Bangalore Medical College.
During the future visits, the member said, “NTF will visit private universities. There are more than 50,000 institutes throughout the country. It is not possible to visit them all. Considering that the events in these institutes have been investigated by more than one committees, he did not decide whether to visit the institutes such as ITs.”
The 12 -member NTF is directed by the former Supreme Supreme Court Judge Justice Bhat and development studies, psychiatry and civil society experts and generally huge education secretary. Interior ministries, education, social justice, health, women and child development and the Ministry of Legal Affairs Secretaries are former members.
The interpretation includes the determination of the causes of “dominant” causes of student suicide – regulation, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden and stigmatization around mental health – proposing steps to analyze existing regulations and to improve student mental health and prevent suicides.
A NTF member said that during the visits, the panel interacts with all stakeholders, including closed door sessions to enable them to share complaints freely.
The researches at ntf.education.gov.in contain separate surveys for students, parents, corporate representatives, mental health professionals and the public. The site, which can be accessed in English and Hindi, provides a platform for student support resources assistance line numbers and institutes to share data.
While the issue was heard, the University Grade Commission has issued a draft arrangement to encourage self -esteem and to address discrimination on campuses after claiming that the 2012 regulations were insufficient. Following the publication of the draft, the petition holders diluted the previous provisions of the 2025 version.
The Court allowed the UGC to continue the notification process, and that the NTF’s authority covers the issue and that the regulation could be changed according to the recommendations of the task force if necessary.
An interim report is expected in September, and then the NTF is scheduled to present the final report by the end of this year.
Those with distress or suicide tendencies may ask for help from the Sanjivini, Mental Health Suicide Prevention Association by calling 011-40769002 or the numbers contained in this connection.
Published – 08 August 2025 10:03 pm ist
