Many students commit suicide at the formative stage of their lives in our country for various reasons, be it fear of failure in examinations or inability of handle pressure or fear of facing challenges.
Who’s to blame for the high rates of student suicide in India? The marks-based education system, growing competition, lack of moral support to young students, generation gap or the parents’ attitude to compare their children with others?
A student can end his/her life for any of the foregoing reasons. However, it is this time when exam results are out that we hear about student suicide the most.
Rediff Labs analyses the data on student suicides in India.
Change in number of student suicides from 2010 to 2015:
The above map shows the total number of student suicides reported in 2015 and the change in number of student suicides from 2010 to 2015.
The size of the circle shows the total number of student suicides in 2015 and the colour of the circle shows the change in that number from 2010 to 2015.
As the map shows, in states like Sikkim, Mizoram and Manipur, student suicides increased highly from 2010 to 2015.
In states/UTs like Himachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu, and Tripura, student suicides decreased from 2010 to 2015.
Failure in examination:
The above map shows the total number of student suicides in 2015 for each state and the percentage of suicides committed because of failure in examinations.
The percentage of students committing suicide due to failure in exams is very high in states like Assam, Jharkhand and Tripura, even though the total number of student suicides in these states is less in comparison with states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
As the world grows highly competitive and the stress and pressure of survival boggle the mind of our children, it’s our prime duty to give them the moral support they need.
We should not add to their pressure. We should help them overcome it. And we should not force them beyond their capacity. As the time of results is coming near, let’s give strength to our children to face whatever life gives them.
Note: Numbers for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are combined.
For more data driven journalism, check out Rediff Labs.
