The National Task Force, or NTF, was set up by the Supreme Court in March 2025 to focus on student mental health and prevent suicides in higher education institutions like colleges and universities.

Student suicides in India’s colleges and universities have become a serious concern, pushing the Supreme Court to take strong action. On July 14, the apex court held a hearing for the case Amit Kumar & Others vs. Union of India & Others (Criminal Appeal No. 1425/2025) to address this alarming issue. The hearing, led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, focused on the work of the National Task Force (NTF), a group created to study and prevent student suicides.

The Court issued clear instructions to support the NTF and ensure progress in tackling this crisis. The hearing saw important discussions between the Court and key people involved in the case. Ms. Aparna Bhat, the Amicus Curiae (a neutral advisor to the Court), presented updates on the NTF’s work. Advocate Mehmood Pracha spoke for the petitioners, while Additional Solicitors General K.M. Nataraj and Brijender Chahar represented the Union of India, Rajasthan, Delhi, and the Ministry of Education. The Court reviewed the NTF’s first report, listened to its challenges, and gave specific orders to help it move forward. The judges also asked for updates on specific suicide cases to ensure investigations are on track.

What is the National Task Force (NTF)?

The National Task Force, or NTF, was set up by the Supreme Court on March 24, 2025 to focus on student mental health and prevent suicides in higher education institutions like colleges and universities. Led by retired Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, the NTF’s job is to understand why students are taking their lives and suggest ways to stop this from happening. It includes experts who collect data, talk to students, teachers, parents, and mental health professionals, and create plans to make campuses safer. The NTF is working hard to find solutions, but it faces some challenges, which the Court addressed during the hearing.

Progress Made by the NTF

Aparna Bhat shared the NTF’s first report, called Status Report No. 1/2025, which detailed what the task force has done so far. Since its formation, the NTF has been active. It held its first online meeting on March 28, 2025, followed by in-person meetings on April 12 and 26, and another online meeting on May 24. On July 4 and 5, 2025, the NTF’s core team met in New Delhi to plan its work. The task force decided to use a mix of methods to understand the problem, including surveys, visits to colleges, and meetings with people like students, teachers, and government officials.

The NTF created questionnaires for colleges, students, faculty, parents, and mental health experts. These were tested in four places: Jamia Millia Islamia and Ramjas College in Delhi, and the Institute of Science and Bangalore Medical College in Bengaluru. The goal was to check if the surveys worked well and if small group meetings with students and staff were helpful. The questionnaires were reviewed by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) to ensure they were fair and ethical, and they got approval after addressing some concerns.

The NTF is also working with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to build a website where people can fill out these surveys in English and Hindi. This website will launch in early August 2025. The task force plans to visit cities across India to talk to people and see the situation firsthand. They’ve hired three research assistants to help with this work and are planning meetings with government bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Challenges Faced by the NTF

The NTF’s report highlighted some problems slowing down its work. First, it doesn’t have a proper office space, or secretariat, where it can hold meetings and work efficiently. Finding a suitable place that everyone can access is taking time. Second, the website they’re building is delayed, which affects their ability to reach more people. Third, college summer breaks and exams delayed their field visits by two months. Finally, getting accurate data is tough. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) doesn’t provide detailed information about student suicides, and data from groups like the UGC and AICTE has gaps. Some states haven’t shared the information the NTF needs, which makes things harder.

Supreme Court’s Key Directives

The Supreme Court listened to these challenges and gave clear orders to fix them and support the NTF’s work:

1. Involving the Ministry of Home Affairs

The Court approved a request (Interlocutory Application No. 158509/2025) to include the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as a member of the NTF. The MHA was told to help the NTF get the data it needs, especially from the NCRB, to better understand student suicides.

2. Providing Office Space

The Court ordered the Union government to give the NTF a proper, accessible office space within four weeks (by mid-August 2025). This space must be big enough for the task force to hold meetings without any issues, ensuring they can work smoothly.

3. States Must Appoint Nodal Officers

The Court pointed out that 12 states and Union Territories have either not appointed a nodal officer (a senior official to help the NTF) or haven’t shared their details. These states are Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Lakshadweep.

The Court gave these states two weeks to appoint nodal officers or share their details with the NTF. If they fail, the Court warned it might take action against the Chief Secretaries of these states.

4. Updates on Suicide Investigations

The Court asked for updates on specific student suicide cases:

Kota, Rajasthan: The Court directed Rajasthan to submit reports on two cases—one from an FIR filed on May 23, 2025, and another (FIR No. 237/2023) from August 4, 2023, at Kota Police Station. The investigating officer from Kota was present in the Court but was told he didn’t need to attend the next hearing.
IIT Delhi: The Court asked the Delhi government to report on the investigations of two FIRs related to suicides by IIT Delhi students.
IIT Kharagpur: The Court requested West Bengal to provide the status of an investigation into a suicide by an IIT Kharagpur student.

5. Financial Support for the NTF

Ms. Bhat filed a request (Interlocutory Application No. 158510/2025) to exempt the NTF from paying Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) on its payments. The Court issued a notice for this request and will hear it on July 21, to help the NTF manage its funds better.

The Supreme Court praised the NTF for its hard work, saying its efforts will make a big difference in helping students and preventing suicides. The Court asked Nataraj and Chahar to work with government officials to quickly solve the NTF’s problems, like finding an office and building the website. The next hearing is set for July 21, where the Court will check on progress, including the investigation updates and whether states have appointed nodal officers.

Student suicides are a heartbreaking issue in India, and the Supreme Court’s actions show how seriously it’s taking this problem. By supporting the NTF and pushing states and the central government to act, the Court is working to create a system that protects students’ mental health. The NTF’s surveys, visits, and plans for a website show a strong effort to understand why students are struggling and how to help them. However, the challenges—like missing data and delays—highlight that this is a complex issue needing everyone’s cooperation.

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