Karnataka govt to set up panel for guidelines on suicide

There have been a number of suicides registered in state of Karnataka linking to the malpractice during examinations in higher education institutions. Post the incidents, the Karnataka Government has decided to establish a committee to draft SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) to prevent such incidents.

The decision comes post the recent incident, where 19-year-old B Tech student from PES University, Aditya Prabhu’s death. Aditya was allegedly caught for “malpractice” during the semester examination in July 2023. Aditya 's parents had levelled serious charges.

Dr MC Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, Karnataka, stated, the committee will consist of psychologists and vice-chancellors who will draft the SOPs which will apply for all higher education institutions in the state, including private institutions and deemed-to be universities.

Sudhakar mentioned that “The SOPs will be drafted on the grounds of humanity and will guide the management on how to deal with students when he/she is caught during malpractice. Not every student will have a suicide tendency. The basic thing is to first investigate whether there has been a malpractice. During the investigation, no pressure should be mounted on students,”  

In addition, he also talked about, the SOPs will be drafted in a way that instils confidence among students. The students must not feel threatened. The SOPs should create a sense of ease among the students.  

The decision is made post the Karnataka Higher education Council Considered a report by an expert committee, the committee has 11 members constituting state government after Prabhu’s death. The report was drafted under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University  Dr Jayakar SM. They have recommended a series of changes in addressing mental health and suicide prevention among students in higher education institutions.

These precautions are necessary, students’ mental well-being and reducing stress is among top agendas for the educational institutions.