IIT-B student’s suicide: Experts call for ‘psychological autopsies’ to identify preventable factors

The tragic death of IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode has once again brought the spotlight on how educational institutions respond to student distress, while highlighting an alarming national trend. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, even as India’s overall suicide rate marginally declined from 12.3 to 12.2 per lakh population, student suicides rose from 13,891 in 2023 to 14,448 in 2024.

While public discourse often defaults to blaming "exam pressure," mental health experts warn against such a simplified narrative. Writing in The Lancet Regional Health—Southeast Asia, researchers emphasized that NCRB data shows academic failure is far from the primary driver of student suicides.

In 2024, exam failure accounted for 9.6% of suicides among individuals below the age of 18, compared with family problems (27.7%), illness (12%), and love affairs (14.9%). In the 18–29 age group, exam failure accounted for just 1.6% of suicides, behind family problems (33.2%), illness (12.8%), and love affairs (8.9%).


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“Reducing student suicide to ‘exam stress’ risks obscuring the complexity of vulnerability and may inadvertently limit the scope of prevention strategies,” the researchers wrote.

To address the multifaceted nature of the crisis, psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty has urged the government to implement "psychological autopsies", a methodology already used globally and within the Indian armed forces.

“The process involves reconstructing the life and circumstances of a person who died by suicide,” said Dr Shetty, who previously raised the proposal with then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in 2023.

This retrospective investigation involves assessing social media activity, interviewing family and friends, analyzing phone logs, tracking physical and mental health histories, and monitoring classroom attendance and behavior.

“The objective is not merely to understand an individual death but to also identify preventable factors and develop population-level interventions,” Dr Shetty noted.

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Dr Shetty also emphasized the need for institutional reform in how student misconduct is handled, advocating for a shift from a "moral compass to a mental health compass."

“Humiliating students or their parents can aggravate distress and trigger further conflict at home. The emphasis must be on repair and reform, not on punishing or breaking a child,” he said, calling for structured counseling and compassionate corrective measures.

The unique environment of top-tier educational institutions adds another layer of vulnerability. Dr Milan Balakrishnan, a psychiatrist at Masina Hospital, described premier institutions as an “academic pressure cooker” where lifelong high achievers suddenly find themselves among peers of equal caliber.

“Their self-esteem has always been linked to academic performance, and other avenues are not so visible to them. Perfectionism is a strong trait which makes them feel failure is unbearable,” Dr Balakrishnan explained.

Adding to this, academic outcomes in India remain heavily interwoven with family expectations. Psychiatrist Dr Bharat Shah of Lilavati Hospital noted: “Any event that could affect their aspirations can have an impact on them,’’ while pointing out that alongside broader societal pressures, “individual vulnerability” remains a crucial variable.

For students relocating from smaller towns to metro cities like Mumbai, social transition poses an additional challenge. Psychiatrist Dr Avinash Desousa highlighted the paradox of living in a crowded metropolis: “Despite its cosmopolitan character, Mumbai can be isolating for newcomers who lack peer networks, family support or someone to confide in.”

Dr Desousa underscored the necessity of strong peer support systems during adolescence and urged institutions to adopt continuous care, including regular mental health screenings and accessible year-round counseling, rather than relying on isolated awareness drives.

(With inputs from TOI)