HC inquires into efforts by Inter board to curb suicide attempts by students

 Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state government and the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) commissioner to apprise it on whether the  instructions issued to junior colleges to curb suicidal attempts by students, had produced the intended results or did the instructions remain only on paper.

The division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar, was dealing with a PIL, which highlighted the  inaction on the part of the government, the inter board and managements of junior colleges  in taking any action to prevent the suicidal attempts by students, especially at the time of results.

On Monday, Mujib Kumar Sadasivuni, special government pleader, submitted that a committee has been constituted to deal with the issue and the committee had convened a meting of managements of colleges and instructed them to follow all guidelines to curb suicide attempts by students.

Every junior college must appoint senior faculty as student counsellors and extra classes should not exceed more than three hours in a day. The guidelines also specify reimbursement of fees in case a student opt out of the college for whatever reasons; conduct of sports and recreation activities every day and medical checkups twice a year and formation of anti-ragging committees in all junior colleges.

Special counsel submitted that the BIE has instructed all district intermediate education officers to monitor and ensure strict compliance with the guidelines.  

Chief Justice Aradhe, after  perusing the guidelines and the counter affidavit  filed by the board, inquired  whether any efforts for follow up action were made and report the same within two weeks.