Education Ministry orders universities to notify police of every student suicide or unnatural death

The Union education ministry issued a compliance reminder to all higher education institutions, directing them to report every student suicide or unnatural death to police authorities without delay, in line with paragraph 45(iii) of the Supreme Court's January 15, 2026 order. The directive, communicated by joint secretary Syed Ekram Rizwi on September 16, emphasizes that the reporting requirement applies to deaths occurring on campus, in hostels, private accommodations, or elsewhere, and covers all modes of study, including distance and online.

Institutions must also provide annual statistics of such cases to the University Grants Commission or relevant regulators, with central universities and institutions of national importance sending the data directly to the ministry. The Supreme Court order followed a case involving the deaths of two Scheduled Caste students at IIT Delhi in 2023, which led to the formation of a National Task Force on student suicides. The ministry reiterated additional court directives on medical support, vacancy filling, scholarship disbursement, and compliance with UGC regulations on ragging, equity, and grievance redressal.