Suicides by students: CJI says his heart goes out to kin

Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday expressed concern over instances of alleged suicides by students and said his heart goes out to the bereaved kin of the victims.

Delivering the convocation address at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) here, the Chief Justice said he was wondering where institutions were going wrong, that students are forced to take their life.

Referring to the incident of alleged suicide of a Dalit student recently in IIT Bombay, Chandrachud said such incidents, involving the victims from marginalised communities are becoming common.

The CJI said judges in India have a crucial role in making a dialogue with society inside and outside the court rooms to push for social change.

"Only recently I read about the suicide of a Dalit student at IIT Bombay. It reminded me about the suicide of an Adivasi student in National Law University in Odisha last year. My heart goes out to the family members of these students. But I also have been wondering where our institutions are going wrong, that the students are forced to give up their precious life," the CJI said. Darshan Solanki, a first year student hailing from Gujarat, allegedly died by suicide on February 12 in IIT Bombay.

The CJI said incidents of suicides from marginalised communities are becoming common. "These numbers are not just statistics. They are stories sometimes of centuries of struggle. I believe that if we wish to address this issue the first step is to acknowledge and recognise the problem," Justice Chandrachud said.

The Chief Justice said he has been emphasising on the mental health of lawyers and equally important is the mental health of students. He further said not only must the education curriculum inculcate a sense of compassion among students but the academic leaders must also be sensitive to their concerns.

"I think the issue of discrimination is directly linked to the lack of empathy in educational institutions," Justice Chandrachud added.

As the Chief Justice of India, apart from judicial and administrative work his effort is also to throw light on the structural issues which confront the society. "Therefore, promoting empathy must be the first step which education institutions ought to take," he said.