by Aswini Kumar Darjee
Bhubaneswar – In a determined move to address the alarming rise in student suicides across the state, the Odisha Higher Education Department will soon launch a ‘Safe Campaign’ in all colleges and universities, focusing on promoting mental well-being and preventing young people from taking extreme steps during times of distress. Announcing the initiative under the Shaktishree scheme, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the campaign will bring campus awareness programmes aimed at building emotional resilience, encouraging students to seek help when under pressure, and fostering a support system involving peers, teachers, and parents. He stressed that anyone struggling mentally should receive counselling and guidance towards proper resources for resolution.
The announcement comes a day after the local police in Balasore organised an awareness programme at FM College on preventing self-immolation, following the tragic case of a 20-year-old student who set herself on fire on July 12 after alleged sexual harassment by a professor and institutional neglect. The programme, led by DIG Eastern Range Dr. Satyajit Naik, encouraged open discussion on mental health and the need for timely support.
The urgency of such measures has been underscored by recent incidents. In Bhadrak, Plus 3 first-year student Pushparani Mallick from Lunga village was found hanging in the bathroom of a private mess shortly after returning from Raksha Bandhan celebrations. She was pursuing her studies at Bhadrak Autonomous College, and the discovery sparked immediate panic among fellow residents. Police from the Town Police Station cordoned off the area, and forensic teams were deployed to examine the scene. While the cause of death remains under investigation, authorities are probing both the possibility of suicide and foul play, with post-mortem results expected to clarify the circumstances. Hostel owner Alok Kumar Das told the media that she had attended classes earlier that day and was last seen entering the bathroom before being found hanging, after two students had visited her.
In another incident in Keonjhar, Class 10 student Krishna Pradhan of Kairala English Medium School died after falling from the terrace of his four-storey school hostel. Police in Champua are investigating whether it was suicide or foul play, collecting forensic and circumstantial evidence from the site.
These tragedies are part of a worrying trend. Data presented by the Odisha government in March shows student suicides have climbed from 119 cases in 2021 to 173 in 2022 and 189 in 2023, with many involving hostel boarders or students under intense academic or emotional stress. Despite guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission in 2023 calling for higher education institutions to set up student service centres, helpline numbers, and counselling units, implementation in Odisha remains limited. Against this backdrop, the ‘Safe Campaign’ seeks to create a culture of awareness, empathy, and timely intervention in educational institutions to protect young lives and promote mental well-being.
