The National Medical Commission (NMC) has instructed all medical colleges across India to participate in a nationwide survey being conducted by a Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force. The initiative aims to address mental health concerns among students in higher education institutions and to prevent student suicides.
The National Task Force is collecting feedback and insights from key stakeholders—including students, faculty members, and administrators via an online survey questionnaire.
On March 24, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Education to establish this National Task Force. Its mandate is to study issues related to student mental health and suicide prevention, hold discussions, and propose preventive strategies for educational institutions.
As part of its mission, the Task Force launched its official website on August 8. According to the public notice, the website serves as a central platform for gathering diverse perspectives from students in higher education, their parents, faculty members, mental health professionals, and institutional representatives.
The platform also welcomes suggestions from the general public, including friends or family of students affected by suicide, alumni, NGOs, media professionals, and other concerned citizens.
The portal features a structured, bilingual (English and Hindi) online survey designed to collect anonymous and confidential information on several key topics—such as campus environment, inclusivity and belonging, sources of distress and discrimination, existing support systems, grievance redressal mechanisms, and potential measures to improve student well-being.
Additionally, institutional-level surveys are being conducted to collect data directly from higher education establishments.
The NMC has urged all medical colleges and institutions under its jurisdiction to visit the Task Force’s website, participate actively in the surveys, share the website link and survey details among students and faculty, and encourage timely and honest participation.
Shreya Gandhi is a writer at MedicoDrive.com with a Master’s in English from Mumbai. She covers medicolegal cases, NMC/DCI updates, medical education, and health news from India and around the world. Passionate about journalism, she brings clarity to complex medical topics.