In a heart-wrenching pattern emerging across the nation, India is witnessing a disturbing surge in youth suicides. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the ministry of education (MoE) on Oct 3 issued draft guidelines for schools titled UMMEED - Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop.

With ‘Every Child Matters’ as the underlying belief in developing the guidelines, the draft details directions to schools for enhancing sensitivity and understanding and providing support in cases of reported self-harm.

The guidelines have come at a time when the an increasing number of students committed suicide at the coaching hub Kota in 2023 while preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams.

School wellness team

As per the draft, to make effective efforts towards preventing suicide in schools, “A dedicated school wellness team (SWT) will be formed under the leadership of the school principal, where each member of the team will be oriented towards handling crisis situations.”

Another initiative mentioned in the draft is ‘promoting a positive school environment’, which can reduce the risk of isolation, despair,

discrimination and the occurrence of suicide.

Focus on mental-health

Actions for promoting a positive school environment include yoga, meditation, and other stress-reducing activities; encouraging peer support; providing channels for expression; integrating mental well-being into school functioning; and more.

In 2015–2016, any psychological disorders were reported to affect 13.7% of the population aged 18 years and older in India.

At the same time, high suicide mortality among adults in India has become a public health concern. While India’s suicide rate of 14.04 per lakh population in 2019, as per a study published by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS). 

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on

Instagram | YouTube | Facebook