NMC issues mandatory advisory for medical colleges to report student suicides, strengthen mental health support

New Delhi: In compliance with the Supreme Court directive on the National Task Force, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked all medical colleges and institutions under its jurisdiction to take immediate steps to address student mental health concerns and prevent suicides on campuses.

Issuing a public notice in this regard, the policy and coordination division of NMC issued mandatory advisories to the Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries/Secretaries, Department and Directors of Medical Education of all States/Union Territories and Deans/Principals/Directors of all medical colleges/institutions under the domain of the apex Medical Commission for strict compliance.

The directive follows the order dated January 15, 2026, passed by the Supreme Court in the case Amit Kumar & Others vs Union of India & Others. Earlier, the Supreme Court, through its order dated March 24, 2025, constituted the task force under the Ministry of Education to examine the causes of student distress, discuss preventive strategies, and recommend measures to promote emotional well-being in campuses across the country.

The Court had constituted a National Task Force (NTF) headed by former Supreme Court judge S. Ravindra Bhat to examine mental health issues among students. The task force has already submitted its interim report, following which the Court issued several directions requiring immediate action by governments, regulators and institutions.

In line with these directions, the NMC has advised all authorities and medical institutions regulated by it to take immediate and time-bound action. The commission has also asked institutions to submit a monthly Action Taken Report (ATR) to the NMC at its official email address.

NMC has instructed medical colleges to maintain accurate records of student suicides or other unnatural deaths, especially among those aged 15–29 years, and report them regularly. Institutions must document details such as the student’s age, course, date and place of incident, and whether the matter has been reported to the police. Colleges have also been reminded of their obligation to promptly lodge a First Information Report (FIR) in the event of a suicide on campus.

Further, residential medical institutions must ensure round-the-clock medical and emergency health services, either on campus or within a one-kilometre radius. Colleges are also required to strengthen campus mental health services by appointing qualified professionals and establishing crisis intervention protocols.

The Commission has additionally directed institutions to fill all vacant teaching and non-teaching posts within four months, clear pending scholarship disbursements, and strengthen statutory bodies such as anti-ragging committees, internal complaints committees and student grievance redressal mechanisms.

Warning that non-compliance could attract regulatory action, the NMC has asked all concerned authorities to begin immediate implementation and submit regular compliance reports.

In view of the recommendations of the National Task Force and the binding directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the NMC issued the following mandatory advisory for strict compliance by all medical colleges/institutions under the domain of NMC.

A: MEDICAL INSTITUTION INFORMATION IN TABLE FORM

1. Name of Medical College/Institution:

2. State/UT:

3. Type of Institution (Govt./Private/Deemed):

4. Total Student Strength (UG/PG/Super-Specialty):

5. Residential / Non-Residential (Hostel capacity):

6. Nodal Officer for Compliance (Name, Designation, Contact Details):

B: DATA COLLECTION – STUDENT SUICIDES / UNNATURAL DEATHS

Ensure accurate reporting and documentation of all cases of student suicide or unnatural death, particularly in the 15–29 age group, to enable reliable national data analysis.

The Supreme Court judgment dated 24.03.2025 clarified the legal position regarding the mandatory registration of an FIR upon disclosure of a cognizable offence. It simultaneously reminded the administration of every educational institution that it is their unequivocal moral and legal obligation to promptly lodge an FIR with the appropriate authorities in the event of a suicide occurring on campus.

1. Number of incidents of suicide/unnatural death during the reporting month:

2. Details (in tabular form):

o Name (if permissible as per law)

o Age

o Course/Year

o Date of incident

o Place of occurrence (campus/hostel/private accommodation/other)

o Whether reported to police (FIR No. & Date)

o Status of inquiry (Institutional/Police)

3. Whether incident was reported immediately to local police authorities? (Yes/No)

4. Whether family was informed promptly? (Yes/No)

5. Preventive steps taken post-incident:

6. Whether annual consolidated report has been submitted to NMC? (Yes/No)

C: MEDICAL & EMERGENCY HEALTH SUPPORT

Every residential medical institution shall ensure availability of qualified medical and emergency health services round the clock, either on campus or within a one-kilometre radius.

1. Availability of 24x7 Medical Facility (Yes/No)

2. Location (On-campus / Within 1 km – specify)

3. Details of medical staff (Number & Qualification)

4. Ambulance facility (Yes/No)

5. Emergency Response SOP in place (Attach copy

D: FACULTY & ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS

All vacant teaching and non-teaching posts shall be filled within four months, with priority to reserved posts for marginalized and under-represented communities, including Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Special recruitment drives may be undertaken as per reservation policies. Institutions shall submit annual reports to the Central and concerned State Governments, indicating the number of sanctioned posts, vacancies, filled positions, reasons for non-filling, and timelines for filling such posts, in order to ensure transparency and accountability.

1. Total Sanctioned Teaching Posts:

2. Filled Posts:

3. Vacant Posts:

4. Reserved Category Vacancies (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwDs):

5. Steps taken to fill vacancies (timeline enclosed)

6. Status of key positions (VC/Director/Dean/Registrar):

o Date of vacancy

o Date recruitment initiated

o Expected date of filling

7. Annual vacancy report submitted to Govt.? (Yes/No

E: SHOLARSHIPS & STUDENT WELFARE

All pending scholarship disbursements shall be cleared within four months. In case of delay, reasons must be communicated to the institution and student within two months.

No student shall be penalized due to scholarship delays.

1. Total number of scholarship beneficiaries:

2. Pending scholarship cases (if any):

3. Steps taken to clear backlog:

4. Whether any student has been:

o Barred from classes?

o Prevented from examinations?

o Removed from hostel?

o Denied mark sheets/degree?

o Compelled to pay fees due to delay?

(If yes, provide details and corrective action taken.

F: STATUTORY BODIES & GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISMS

Provide details regarding constitution and functioning of:

1. Anti-Ragging Committee (Date of constitution, composition, meeting frequency)

2. Anti-Ragging Squad

3. Anti-Discrimination Officer

4. Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)

5. Student Grievance Redressal Committee

6. Hostel Committee

7. Nasha Mukth Committee

Attach:

 Notifications/Office Orders

 Minutes of last 3 meetings

 Number of complaints received & disposed

G: RAGGING – COMPREHENSIVE COMPLIANCE DETAILS

Non-compliance with the above directions shall invite regulatory action under applicable laws and NMC regulations.

1. Preventive Measures

 Anti-ragging affidavits obtained from students & parents (Yes/No)

 Awareness programmes conducted (dates & details)

 Display of anti-ragging posters/helpline numbers

 Website compliance (anti-ragging portal link active)

 Submission of compliance to Anti-Ragging Portal (Yes/No)

2. Incidents of Ragging (During Reporting Period)

Provide details in tabular form:

 Date of complaint

 Mode of complaint (written/email/helpline/anonymous)

 Nature of ragging

 Location (hostel/classroom/campus/online/off-campus)

 Action taken (suspension/FIR/expulsion/other)

 Status (Pending/Disposed)

3. Aspects Covered Under “Ragging” (Confirm Compliance)

The Institution shall confirm that it recognises and prohibits the following forms of ragging:

A. Physical Ragging

 Physical assault, beating, pushing, confinement

 Forced physical activity causing harm or fatigue

 Forcing consumption of alcohol, drugs, or other substances

B. Verbal & Psychological Ragging

 Abusive language

 Humiliation, ridicule, or insults

 Threats or intimidation

 Mental harassment causing fear or distress

C. Sexual Ragging

 Sexually coloured remarks

 Forcing obscene acts

 Inappropriate physical contact

 Voyeurism or harassment

D. Social & Discriminatory Ragging

 Caste-based, gender-based, religion-based insults

 Targeting students from marginalized communities

 Exclusion or boycott

E. Economic Ragging

 Forcing juniors to spend money

 Extortion or financial exploitation

F. Academic Ragging

 Preventing attendance in classes

 Interfering with academic activities

 Forcing completion of assignments

G. Online / Cyber Ragging

 Bullying via social media

 Circulation of morphed images

 Defamatory posts/messages

H. Hostel-based Ragging

 Night-time harassment

 Forced entry into rooms

 Coercive introduction sessions

I. Extortion of money

 In the name of festival

 Fresher’s party

 In the name of event organized with permission/without permission

4. Disciplinary Actions Prescribed & Imposed

Confirm that penalties as per NMC/UGC Regulations are implemented, including:

 Suspension from classes

 Withholding scholarships

 Debarring from exams

 Suspension/expulsion from hostel

 Rustication

 Expulsion

 FIR with police

H. INCLUSION & ACCESSIBILITY

1. Accessibility Audit conducted (Date & Agency):

2. Infrastructure modifications made:

3. Facilities for PwDs (ramps, lifts, assistive devices):

4. Facilities for transgender students (hostel/sanitation/privacy):

5. Examination accommodations provided:

I: FACULTY SENSITISATION & CAPACITY BUILDING

1. Training conducted (Dates & Topics):

2. Number of faculty trained:

3. Modules include:

o Mental health awareness

o Anti-discrimination laws

o Anti-ragging norms

o Early intervention protocols

J: CAMPUS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Ensure access to student-friendly mental health services by qualified professionals; untrained faculty shall not be designated as counsellors.

1. Number of qualified mental health professionals appointed:

2. Student-to-counsellor ratio:

3. Confidentiality SOP in place (Attach copy):

4. Anonymous feedback mechanism (Details)

5. Crisis intervention protocol (Details)

To view the notice, click on the link below:

Also read- NMC directs medical colleges to participate in surveys under Supreme Court's National Task force on mental health