Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Indian Higher Education: The Role of the National Task Force
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Social Development, Health (Mental Health), Education, Social Sector Initiatives, Role of Judiciary.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Social empowerment.
General Studies Paper 2 (Social Justice & Governance): Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population; Government policies and interventions.
General Studies Paper 4 (Ethics): Ethical responsibility of educational institutions towards students.
Essay: Topics on Education, Youth, and Mental Health.
Key Highlights from the News
The National Task Force (NTF), formed by the Supreme Court to study the increasing student suicides and mental health issues in higher education institutions, is expanding its operations.
Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ravindra Bhat heads the 12-member task force.
A nodal officer will be appointed in each state and union territory to coordinate the task force's activities.
Information is being collected from students, parents, and teachers through surveys, with over a lakh responses received so far.
The Supreme Court formed this task force following a petition by parents, highlighting the lack of adequate institutional guardrails to protect students from issues like discrimination on campuses.
The task force has requested data on student mental health, suicides, and dropouts from all regulatory bodies like AICTE, Bar Council, and universities.
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