World Suicide Prevention Day: Gujarat eyes an impending suicide surge?

Updated: Sep 10th, 2023

World Suicide Prevention Day (img: Envato Elements)

Sept 10 is observed as World Suicide Prevention Day, which commemorates the beginning of World Suicide Prevention Week.

A look back at home tells us that the suicide rate among students in Gujarat is on a gradual rise as well. Nearly 166 students end their lives every year in the state.

Student suicide rate in the last five years

According to the data released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), 831 students have taken their lives in the five years from 2017 to 2021, with 423 of them being boys and 408 being girls.

Student Suicide Rates over the years:

Year
Boys
Girls
Total
2021
86
49
135
2020
82
80
162
2019
88
92
180
2018
91
95
186
2017 
76
92
168
Overall
423
408
831

Prevention of Student suicides

Experts suggest that it is important for students to undergo counselling during their board examinations. A lot of students resort to taking this step for reasons like pressure, extreme stress, scoring less than their peers, etc.

A positive atmosphere is as important at their homes as it is at their schools and classes.

India’s numbers in student suicides

The most student suicides list was also topped by Maharashtra in 2021, as 262 students ended their lives in the state, followed by 168 in Jharkhand, 157 in Madhya Pradesh, 135 in both Odisha and Gujarat and 83 in Andhra Pradesh.

Rajasthan’s Kota is considered to be one of the hubs of coaching institutes as well as suicide cases. With 23 suicides just this year, Kota has registered more than 100 student suicides in the last 10 years.

Other reasons for suicide

It is also noteworthy that apart from students, suicides in Gujarat across different age groups are committed for various reasons. 158 suicides were committed under debt stress, 392 for marriage problems, and 1788 due to being frustrated with prolonged illness.

Suicide rates in Gujarat in general have surged in 2021 as compared to 2020. As per the NCRB report, 8789 people committed suicide in Gujarat in 2021, which constituted 6199 men and 2589 women. In 2020, 8050 people committed suicide in the state.

Nationwide suicide rates are increasing at an alarming rate as well. Maharashtra was at the forefront of the most suicides, as the state registered 22,207 suicides in 2021, followed by 18,925 suicides in Tamil Nadu and 14,965 suicides in Madhya Pradesh.

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