From Kota to Courtrooms: A Legal Wake – Up Call
Executive Summary
The Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Sukhdev Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh (July 2025) recognized mental health as a constitutionally protected right under Article 21, mandating institutions across India to ensure psychological safety alongside academic excellence. The Court’s decision redefined the Right to Life to include the right to live with dignity and sound mental health, addressing India’s deepening crisis of student distress and suicide.
In direct alignment with this vision, TSEEP Academy’s The Growth Groove – Basic Life Skills program offers a timely and transformative framework to operationalize mental health reform within educational spaces. Built on three core pillars — Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Skills & Thinking Skills — the program equips students to navigate emotional, social & cognitive challenges that often lead to psychological breakdown.
Self-Awareness modules enhance emotional insight & regulation; Interpersonal Skills foster empathy, belonging & communication; while Thinking Skills build resilience through problem-solving & rational decision-making.
By integrating these domains through experiential pedagogy & facilitator-led support, The Growth Groove brings the Saha Directives to life — transforming schools and coaching centers into nurturing ecosystems where mental well-being is embedded into daily learning.
This initiative embodies TSEEP Academy’s mission to ensure that every learner’s constitutional right to life truly encompasses the right to live with emotional strength, clarity & dignity.
Kota’s Paradox: Between Aspiration and Agony
Kota, Rajasthan stands as India’s symbol of educational ambition, attracting tens of thousands of students who move there each year to prepare for entrance exams like JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) & NEET (National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test).
While it is celebrated as the “Coaching Capital of India,” it also bears the weight of tragedy, with rising student suicides revealing the psychological cost of relentless academic pressure. In 2023 alone, 26 suicides were reported, followed by 19 in 2024 & 14 more by May 2025.
Parents driven by competitiveness often send children far from home, severing emotional safety nets. Young students, thrust into high-pressure environments, frequently face isolation, anxiety, and mental fatigue. When emotional struggles remain invisible or unaddressed, despair becomes fatal.
The Catalyst: The Case of Ritu Saha
The turning point came on August 15, 2023, when Ritu Saha, a student from West Bengal studying under Aakash Byju’s network in Visakhapatnam, died by suicide.
Refusing to accept his daughter’s death as an “unfortunate event,” her father, Sukhdev Saha, initiated a legal battle that redefined India’s mental health jurisprudence. His pursuit of justice culminated in a historic Supreme Court verdict that established mental well-being as integral to a dignified life.
The Landmark Judgment: Sukhdev Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh
Delivered on July 25, 2025, the judgment by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta declared that India’s constitutional protections extend beyond physical survival to encompass mental well-being.
It mandated the CBI to investigate the circumstances of Ritu Saha’s death & directed the creation of systemic mental health reforms in educational institutions. The Court’s reasoning elevated psychological welfare from moral aspiration to constitutional obligation, echoing a collective duty of care.
Diagnosing the Causes: Institutional and Social Failures
The Supreme Court identified four primary contributors to student suicide:
- Systemic Failure
- Neglect
- Inequality
- Sexual Harassment
Systemic Failure
Institutions lack formal mental health infrastructure, leaving students with no emotional recourse.
Neglect
Society continues to stigmatize mental health, mislabelling distress as weakness.
Inequality
Socioeconomic and caste-based discrimination erodes students’ sense of belonging.
Sexual Harassment
Institutional silence over abuse aggravates trauma & despair.
The Court emphasized that suicide is not merely an individual act but a symptom of structural victimization, resulting from social apathy & institutional exploitation. Justice Mehta profoundly stated, “Ritu Saha’s death represents not just personal despair but a structural collapse in compassion & governance.”
The Saha Directives: Institutional Accountability for Mental Health
The Saha Directives established binding operational guidelines requiring all educational institutions to:
- Appoint trained counselors and psychologists on campus.
- Implement district-level mental health monitoring within two months.
- Treat institutional negligence toward mental well-being as a violation of Article 21.
Until a national mental health law is enacted, these directives remain legally enforceable, redefining student welfare as a constitutional mandate rather than a voluntary commitment.
Cultivating Resilience and Dignity: TSEEP’s The Growth Groove Aligns with Supreme Court’s Mental Health Vision
The Sukhdev Saha verdict expands the meaning of the Right to Life to include the right to mental health, illuminating a path toward institutional compassion & accountability. It reaffirms that education must nurture not only intellect but humanity.
In this renewed vision, programs like TSEEP Academy’s The Growth Groove – Basic Life Skills play a vital role by addressing the root causes identified by the Court. Through its focus on Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Skills & Thinking Skills, Growth Groove equips students with emotional regulation, empathy-building & critical thinking tools essential for navigating academic stress, isolation & discrimination.
By embedding these skills within educational institutions using experiential learning and structured support, The Growth Groove operationalizes the constitutional mandate for mental well-being, helping create environments where students can thrive with dignity, resilience & psychological safety.
This approach makes a tangible contribution to preventing tragedies like those in Kota, fostering healthier, more supportive academic ecosystems that honor the right to live with mental peace & strength.
Conclusion
The Sukhdev Saha verdict expands the meaning of the Right to Life to include the right to mental health, illuminating a path toward institutional compassion & accountability. It reaffirms that education must nurture not only intellect but humanity.
In this renewed vision, programs like TSEEP Academy’s The Growth Groove – Basic Life Skills stand at the forefront of India’s mental health reform. By embedding Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Skills & Thinking Skills in educational practice, Growth Groove transforms the constitutional promise of dignity into tangible, life-enhancing reality.
It bridges the gap between learning and living — ensuring that every student’s pursuit of excellence is grounded in emotional resilience, social connection & psychological safety.
References
- Bhatt and Joshi Associates. Expanding the Horizons of Article 21: Supreme Court’s Landmark Recognition of Mental Health as a Fundamental Right to Life in Sukdeb Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh. Bhatt & Joshi Associates, Aug. 2025.
- Center for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP). A Landmark Ruling for Student Mental Health in India. CMHLP, 22 Sept. 2025.
- Deccan Chronicle. “Kolkata Girl Jumps to Death from Hostel Building in Vizag.” 23 Aug. 2023.
- Hindustan Times. “14 Cases of Student Suicides Reported from Kota So Far in 2025.” 3 May 2025.
- LiveLaw. Sukdeb Saha vs. The State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors., 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 740, 25 July 2025.
- Pacta Legal Research. “Supreme Court Mandates New Mental Health Policies for Students.” 1 Sept. 2025.
- Sabrang India. “How the Supreme Court Built a Binding Legal Framework to Protect Student Mental Health.” 23 Sept. 2025.
- Supreme Court Observer. “Mental Health Integral Component of Right to Life: Sukdeb Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh.” 29 July 2025.
- The Times of India. “Kota Sees 38% Dip in Student Suicides as Initiatives Bear Fruit.” 30 Dec. 2024.
- Vision IAS. “Supreme Court Issues Guidelines to Address Student Suicides and Mental Health in Educational Institutions.” 26 July 2025.
