The Supreme Court on Friday issued comprehensive guidelines to protect the mental health of students in schools, colleges, and coaching centres, while noting that it is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21.
“Mental health is an integral component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. This Court has, in a consistent line of precedents, affirmed that the right to life does not mean mere animal existence, but a life of dignity, autonomy, and well-being. Mental health is central to this vision,” the court has said, according to LiveLaw.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta while addressing the issue of students' suicides in India, issued 15 nationwide binding directions.
The order of the apex court came while deciding the petition filed by the father of the student, who died under suspicious circumstances after falling from her hostel terrace while undergoing NEET coaching at Aakash Byju's Institute, Vishakhapatnam in July.
The apex court directed all states and Union Territories to notify rules within two months mandating registration, student protection norms, and grievance redressal for private coaching centres.
It also ordered the formation of district-level monitoring committees headed by District Magistrates to oversee implementation, inspections, and complaints.
The top court further asked the Union of India to file a compliance affidavit within 90 days detailing implementation steps, coordination with states, regulatory progress, monitoring mechanisms, and the timeline for the National Task Force's report on student mental health.
The bench said that until such time as appropriate legislation or regulatory frameworks are enacted by the competent authority, it decided to lay down the following guidelines to protect students' mental health.
It was noted that in Shatrughan Chauhan v Union of India and Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, this Court recognised mental integrity, psychological autonomy, and freedom from degrading treatment as essential facets of human dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Further, the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, a rights based legislation, reinforces this constitutional mandate by recognising every person's right to access mental healthcare and protection from inhuman or degrading treatment in mental health settings, the court said.
Section 18 of the MH Act guarantees mental health services to all, and Section 115 of the MH Act explicitly decriminalises attempted suicide, acknowledging the need for care and support rather than punishment, it further said.
“These provisions read with judicial precedents reflect a broader constitutional vision that mandates a responsive legal framework to prevent self-harm and promote well-being, particularly among vulnerable populations such as students and youth”, the court added.
All educational institutions shall ensure optimal student-to-counsellor ratios, it said.
The apex court said that dedicated mentors or counsellors shall be assigned to smaller batches of students, especially during examination periods and academic transitions, to provide consistent, informal, and confidential support.
With inputs from ANI
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