Rising student suicides in Nagpur spark alarm over academic pressure & mental health crisis

Nagpur: The city is trying to cope with a disturbing surge in student suicides, raising concerns about academic pressure coupled with inadequate mental health support systems. This week alone, two tragic incidents shook the education community.As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Maharashtra consistently logs one of the highest numbers of student suicides in India, with more than 1,800 cases in 2023 alone, a trend that has continued.Shreena Gadpayle, a first-year engineering student at a college on Kalmeshwar Road, allegedly jumped from a flyover near White House on Kamptee Road. Despite medical efforts, Shreena died a day later. Police have registered the case as accidental death and are investigating possible triggers, though no formal complaint has been filed by the family.In a separate incident the same day, 15-year-old Sanvi Yeskade, a Class 10 student from Surendranagar in Bajaj Nagar police limits, allegedly died by suicide. She was declared dead at a nearby hospital.These back-to-back tragedies follow the May 4 suicide of 20-year-old Shreyash Mane, a second-year BTech Computer Science student at IIIT-Nagpur. He jumped from the ninth floor of his hostel amid severe exam stress and incomplete syllabus preparation. The incident sparked student protests for better counselling facilities and reduced academic burden. SP, Nagpur Rural, Harssh A Poddar visited the campus and counselled the students.The year has already recorded multiple student suicides, including Class 12 student Nikita Bansod in Feb after her Physics board exam and a BCA student Arsh Bante too killed himself early May this year after failing in exams. Last year, twin suicides by NEET aspirants and two suicides by AIIMS students shocked the city.Mental health experts link this trend to intense competitive exams like NEET and JEE, unrealistic parental and societal expectations, aggressive coaching culture, and poor coping mechanisms among adolescents.Practising psychiatrist Dr Sudhir Bhave highlighted low frustration tolerance as a key factor. "Adolescents face acute external challenges such as competitions and peer pressure, along with internal pressures like family expectations. Their low coping skills worsen the situation," he said. Dr Bhave also warned of a ‘copycat suicide' tendency and urged media adherence to Indian Psychiatric Association guidelines on minimal suicide coverage to prevent triggering vulnerable minds. He recommended wise parenting to curb suicidal tendencies among the adolescents.Practising psychologist Dr Anupama Gadkari stressed the role of parental awareness. "Parents often miss signs of distress such as dropping hints of suicide, persistent negativity, social isolation, or withdrawal from family activities," she noted. "Communicate openly, offer unconditional support, and avoid blame games," said Gadkari, adding help should reach adolescents as early as possible.CP Ravinder Singal had barred the police information centre from sharing details of suicides and appealed to the media to refrain from reporting such details in order to curb the ripple effect on vulnerable individuals.