Summary:
We will monitor the implementation of these guidelines at private junior colleges and hostels with the support of BIEAP to control student suicides,” Hymavathi added. Every school and college should follow the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) guidelines and we will take measures to monitor this. Major guidelines included conducting only one exam a month per subject to reduce stress on students, introducing a grading system at Intermediate colleges, allowing students to use cell phones, especially those studying at residential institutions, identifying students with deformities and providing them counselling. The government tried some of theese measures in the past but with little success as the suicides continued to rise.The committee in its report flagged the harsh, demanding schedules adopted by residential junior colleges - students would be woken up at 4.30 am for ‘study hours’ and they would retire for the day at 11 pm - leaving them sleep-deprived and exhausted. The residential students were also confined to their hostels, and would be allowed out only once in a fortnight - that too only for a few hours.The committee also took objection to the weekly tests and year-long examinations that ended up creating a culture of cut-throat competition among students with many suffering from anxiety and depression..