Nagpur: Maharashtra has emerged as the state with the highest number of student suicides in the country, with the recent National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data highlighting a disturbing rise in deaths among students over the past decade.
According to the NCRB’s Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024 report, 14,488 students died by suicide across the country in 2024, the highest figure recorded during the 2014-2024 period. The number represents a 79.6% increase over 8,068 cases reported in 2014.
Maharashtra accounted for the largest share of the national total in 2024, with 1,909 student suicides, or 13.2% of all such deaths. Uttar Pradesh followed with 1,585 cases, Madhya Pradesh with 1,447 and Tamil Nadu with 1,287. Together, the four states accounted for nearly 43% of student suicides reported nationwide in 2024.
The longer-term picture is equally concerning. NCRB figures show that 1,23,918 student suicides were recorded across India between 2014 and 2024, with Maharashtra accounting for roughly 17,000 cases over the 11-year period, according to analyses of the NCRB data.
The numbers also point to a problem extending beyond colleges and universities. In 2024, more than 10,000 suicide deaths were recorded among people below the age of 18, underlining the vulnerability of school-going children as well as older students.
Family problems remain major concern
While academic pressure and examination failure often dominate discussions surrounding student suicides, NCRB data indicates that the causes are considerably broader.
Family problems remained the leading recorded cause of suicides nationally in 2024. Examination failure was attributed to 2,032 suicide deaths among students, making it a significant but not exclusive factor. Other recorded causes include illness, addiction, relationship-related issues, career and professional problems and financial difficulties.
The sharpest rise in student suicides during the decade occurred between 2019 and 2020, when the number jumped by 21.2%. The only year in the 2014-2024 series to register a decline was 2022, when the figure marginally fell from the previous year.
Maharashtra faces added pressure
Maharashtra’s position is particularly significant because the state is home to several major educational and competitive-examination centres, including Pune and Mumbai. A research paper examining NCRB data has also highlighted Maharashtra’s sustained high student-suicide burden and identified examination-related deaths as an area requiring closer attention, while cautioning about limitations in the NCRB data.
The data has prompted renewed focus on the mental well-being of students facing academic competition, family expectations and uncertainty over education and careers. Experts and policymakers have increasingly stressed that prevention cannot focus solely on examination stress because the reasons recorded in official statistics are multifaceted.
Government steps to strengthen prevention
The Centre has adopted a multi-pronged approach to suicide prevention, including psychological support for students, teachers and families. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy, launched in 2022, aims to reduce the country’s suicide mortality rate by 10% by 2030.
The Ministry of Education has also issued guidelines for regulation of coaching centres and introduced initiatives aimed at providing students with academic and psychological support.
The latest figures, however, underline the scale of the challenge, particularly for Maharashtra, which continues to account for the largest number of student suicide deaths recorded in the country.
