Mental Health as a Fundamental Right: Analyzing the Supreme Court's 'Saha Guidelines'
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Fundamental Rights - Article 21, Judiciary - Judicial Activism); Health (Mental Health); Key Legislations (Mental Healthcare Act 2017).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Social empowerment, issues related to youth.
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity, Governance, Social Justice): Indian Constitution—significant provisions; Fundamental Rights; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
General Studies Paper 4 (Ethics): Ethics and Human Interface; Emotional intelligence.
Essay: Topics on Mental Health, the Education System, and Social Justice.
Key Highlights from the News
In the significant case of Sukdeb Saha vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court ruled that Mental Health is an integral component of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The court approached student suicides not as individual failures, but as structural victimization resulting from systemic failures in the education system and governance.
Through this judgment, mental health protection was elevated from a statutory right to a fundamental right, providing citizens with stronger legal protection.
The court also issued a set of mandatory guidelines known as "Saha Guidelines." According to these, all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, must establish mental health support systems for students.
The court further ordered the formation of district-level monitoring committees to oversee the implementation of these guidelines.
While this judgment has revolutionary potential, its success will depend entirely on the efficient implementation by state governments and educational institutions, and a change in societal attitudes.
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