New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed deep concern over incidents of student suicides and said that everyone, including the education system, society, teachers, and families, must take responsibility to prevent such tragedies.
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Responding to a question about emotional pressure faced by students and allegations that the Congress party used photographs of deceased students to create pressure ahead of examinations, Pradhan called the move "highly condemnable".
"This is highly condemnable. Look, we are also responsible for the loss of children's lives. I have been in charge of campuses before."
Personal accountability reflection
Reflecting on his tenure as Education Minister, Pradhan said he feels personally accountable whenever a student dies by suicide.
"For the past five years, I have held the responsibility of the Education Department of India. Whenever a young boy or girl loses their life on any campus, I blame myself, questioning what kind of system we are running that a child has to lose their life. Therefore, this is a broader question"
Collective responsibility call
He stressed that preventing such incidents requires collective responsibility from all sections of society.
"Therefore, this is a broader question. To ensure such incidents do not happen, everyone must take responsibility. Society has to take responsibility, teachers have to take responsibility, and families have to take responsibility to boost the morale of the child”, he added.
Criticism of politicisation
The minister also criticised attempts to politicise student suicides, particularly close to examination periods.
"Playing politics over this, and especially releasing a list two to three days before the exam, and there can be nothing more disgusting than this."
Pradhan's remarks came during an NDTV interview where he was asked about student mental health, examination pressure, and the political debate surrounding student suicide cases.
