Student suicide – AP Education Minister warns strict action

Student suicide numbers are on the rise in Andhra Pradesh. 38 young Intermediate students have committed suicide owing to academic pressure in residential colleges across the state in the last three years.

The education minister of Andhra Pradesh Ganta Srinivasa Rao has expressed deep sorrow on the rise in student suicide and given harsh warning to colleges of action. The minister has visited the hostel of Narayana College in Visakhapatnam and interacted with the girl students staying at the hostel. 188 affiliated hostels in the state are not owned by the colleges themselves. a very big problem as per the minister. Reported by Deccan Herald, Andhra Pradesh education minister said –  “I will not spare even Narayana colleges if we find any lacunae.”

A meeting was called by him to discuss the matter. It involved all residential colleges, hostels and parents on 16 October to discuss the issue of suicides in hostels. Without the mandated counselling system that should be in olace, the trend of student suicide has claimed 6 lives in the past 2 days. This is especially the case in students availing the boarding facility.

A separate issue is the absence of CCTV at hostels, another mandate that has been ignored at many places. In the past two days two students stayed back during breakfast and dinner time and committed suicide while their roommates were away at the mess.