The Madhya Pradesh High Court is scheduled to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on July 28, which brings attention to the disturbing rise in student suicides at medical colleges across the state.
The matter was taken up by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf on July 23. The petitioner's lawyer appeared via video conferencing and is expected to be present in person for the next hearing.
The PIL was filed by Krishna Kumar Bhargava, a social worker, who pointed out that Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu collectively contribute nearly one-third of India’s student suicide cases. This statistic was sourced from the IC3 Institute’s report titled "Students Suicide: An Epidemic Sweeping India, Volume 2."
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The plea presents alarming data on the gender-wise distribution of student suicides. It highlights that in the past 10 years, male student suicides rose by 50%, while female student suicides increased by 61%.
The petition refers to the UNICEF’s 'The State of the World’s Children' report, which revealed a deeper crisis among Indian youth. It stated that one in every seven young individuals aged 15 to 24 suffers from poor mental health.
"Only 41% of those surveyed acknowledged the need to seek support for mental health issues,"
the report stated, underscoring the stigma and lack of awareness around mental health support in India.
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Allegations Against Private Medical Colleges
A major concern raised in the plea is that private medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh allegedly disguise student suicides as natural deaths.
"Private Medical Colleges camouflage the death as a natural death,"
the petition alleges, citing that parents are often too afraid or discouraged to report such cases. It further states:
"Parents do not show the courage to bring the matter to the authorities concerned, either due to threats from college administration or due to indirect pressures difficult to explain but easy to infer."
The petitioner claims that many families are pressured or silenced, allowing colleges to suppress the truth. This culture of silence has resulted in a continued cycle of fear and negligence, denying justice to affected families.
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National Reports and Parliamentary Debates Acknowledge the Issue
The PIL also refers to 2024 parliamentary debates, which shed light on the alarming situation in medical institutions of Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, a National Commission Task Force has reportedly identified Madhya Pradesh as the third-highest state in India for student suicides.
"The report of the National Task Force highlights the fact that Madhya Pradesh is Number-3 State where suicide rate is increasing every year,"
the plea emphasizes.
The petitioner has urged the court to direct state authorities to improve the overall environment and working conditions in both private and government medical colleges.
Additionally, the plea calls for a high-level investigation into all student suicides that occurred in Madhya Pradesh colleges over the past ten years, demanding transparency and accountability.
Case Title: Krishna Kumar Bhargava v State of M.P
Writ Petition Number: WP - 26049/2025
Counsel for Petitioner: Senior Advocate Aditya Sanghi