At least seven students allegedly died by suicide within a span of 30 hours following the release of the results for the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) Intermediate Public Examination 2024 for both first and second years on Wednesday, reports The Indian Express.
The incidents occurred in various locations across the state. The first case involved a 16-year-old student from Tandur in Mancherial district, who had failed in four subjects during the first year and was found hanging at his residence, according to police. Among the deceased were teenage girls aged 16 or 17 who had failed in one or more exams.
These tragic events unfolded despite Telangana achieving the highest number of top scorers in this year’s JEE Main exam, as well as in the past three years. Out of the 56 candidates nationwide who attained a 100 percentile, 15 hailed from Telangana.
Over 9.8 lakh students appeared for the intermediate exam conducted in February-March. The results were released two weeks earlier compared to the previous year. While 61.06% of students (equivalent to 2.87 lakh) passed the first year (Class 11 equivalent), 69.46% (3.22 lakh) passed the second year (Class 12 equivalent) exams. Advanced supplementary exams for those who failed are scheduled to commence on May 24.
In line with previous years, the TSBIE has deployed counsellors in all Junior Colleges to assist students in coping with exam-related stress.
The Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across the States) service is available year-round, particularly during the annual and supplementary examination periods and following result announcements. Students can access psychologists and psychiatrists for counselling and guidance by calling a toll-free number, 14416.
In 2019, following the announcement of intermediate results, at least 22 students tragically died by suicide across Telangana. The examination and evaluation process that year faced allegations of inaccuracies, adding to the distress.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Telangana accounted for less than 5 per cent of the 12,522 student suicides recorded in the country in 2022. Maharashtra, with 13.5% (1,764), Tamil Nadu with 10.9% (1,416), and Madhya Pradesh with 10.3% (1,340), were the top three states with the highest proportion of student suicides.
In comparison, Telangana ranked 11th among the 28 states, reporting 543 student suicides that year.