The Crossbill News Desk
A Supreme Court-appointed task force examining student mental health and suicides in higher education has flagged structural concerns around caste and social exclusion, as protests continue at IIT-Bombay following the death by suicide of 20-year-old Dalit student Sahil Wakode.
The interim report of the National Task Force (NTF) on ‘Mental Health of Students and Prevention of Suicides in Higher Educational Institutes’, set up by the Supreme Court in March 2025, has highlighted the difficulties faced by students from marginalised communities in higher education institutions, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The 211-page report, citing data provided in parliamentary questions, found that more than 13,600 students from disadvantaged communities dropped out of premier institutions between 2018 and 2023.
Among them were 4,596 OBC, 2,424 SC and 2,622 ST students from central universities. During the same period, 2,066 OBC, 1,068 SC and 408 ST students dropped out of IITs, while the figures for IIMs stood at 163 OBC, 188 SC and 91 ST students.
The Supreme Court constituted the NTF while hearing a case related to the suicides of two students at IIT Delhi in 2023, after police allegedly refused to register an FIR in the matter.
The report also pointed to a significant disparity in the social composition of faculty in higher education. It found that 56% of faculty members belong to socially advantaged groups, with the gap particularly visible in elite institutions.
In Institutes of National Importance (INIs), including IITs and NITs, only 7.57% of faculty members are from the SC community and 1.91% from the ST community. According to the NTF, 67.71% belong to “privileged” backgrounds, as reported by The Economic Times.
The task force also referred to concerns surrounding the prevailing “campus culture” in institutions, where students may be expected to pass a so-called “vibe check”. According to the report, students from marginalised sections can be more vulnerable to exclusion and isolation within such environments.
The findings come amid an ongoing student protest at IIT-Bombay following Sahil Wakode’s death. The second-year BTech student died by suicide at the age of 20, with his parents and fellow students alleging caste-based discrimination and humiliation at the institute.
The institute had faced criticism over its initial account of the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death.
On Monday (September 21), IIT-Bombay apologised for its earlier statements claiming that Sahil had been found using his mobile phone during a mid-term examination and that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.
Students have continued to demand accountability and institutional reforms, including changes to disciplinary procedures and measures to address mental-health concerns and discrimination on campus.
The IIT-Bombay controversy has consequently unfolded alongside the broader concerns identified by the Supreme Court-appointed task force, bringing renewed attention to how caste, institutional culture and access to support systems can shape the experience of students from marginalised communities in higher education.
The interim report of the National Task Force (NTF) on ‘Mental Health of Students and Prevention of Suicides in Higher Educational Institutes’, set up by the Supreme Court in March 2025, has highlighted the difficulties faced by students from marginalised communities in higher education institutions, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The 211-page report, citing data provided in parliamentary questions, found that more than 13,600 students from disadvantaged communities dropped out of premier institutions between 2018 and 2023.
Among them were 4,596 OBC, 2,424 SC and 2,622 ST students from central universities. During the same period, 2,066 OBC, 1,068 SC and 408 ST students dropped out of IITs, while the figures for IIMs stood at 163 OBC, 188 SC and 91 ST students.
The Supreme Court constituted the NTF while hearing a case related to the suicides of two students at IIT Delhi in 2023, after police allegedly refused to register an FIR in the matter.
The report also pointed to a significant disparity in the social composition of faculty in higher education. It found that 56% of faculty members belong to socially advantaged groups, with the gap particularly visible in elite institutions.
In Institutes of National Importance (INIs), including IITs and NITs, only 7.57% of faculty members are from the SC community and 1.91% from the ST community. According to the NTF, 67.71% belong to “privileged” backgrounds, as reported by The Economic Times.
The task force also referred to concerns surrounding the prevailing “campus culture” in institutions, where students may be expected to pass a so-called “vibe check”. According to the report, students from marginalised sections can be more vulnerable to exclusion and isolation within such environments.
The findings come amid an ongoing student protest at IIT-Bombay following Sahil Wakode’s death. The second-year BTech student died by suicide at the age of 20, with his parents and fellow students alleging caste-based discrimination and humiliation at the institute.
The institute had faced criticism over its initial account of the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death.
On Monday (September 21), IIT-Bombay apologised for its earlier statements claiming that Sahil had been found using his mobile phone during a mid-term examination and that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.
Students have continued to demand accountability and institutional reforms, including changes to disciplinary procedures and measures to address mental-health concerns and discrimination on campus.
The IIT-Bombay controversy has consequently unfolded alongside the broader concerns identified by the Supreme Court-appointed task force, bringing renewed attention to how caste, institutional culture and access to support systems can shape the experience of students from marginalised communities in higher education.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment