Hyderabad: Months after the Board of Intermediate Education found that several privately-run junior colleges in the state lacked trained mental-health counsellors, a student death inside a corporate junior college hostel in Hyderabad has reopened questions around academic pressure on students.
According to NCRB data, Telangana has recorded 10,975 suicides in 2024. Of this, 103 deaths in the state were linked to examination failure, while students accounted for 8.5 per cent of suicide victims nationally.
While police are examining academic stress as a possible factor in the recent death of a 16-year-old Intermediate student at a corporate junior college hostel in Madhapur, mental-health professionals and education officials warned against seeing the incident in isolation, especially after repeated student deaths across residential junior colleges and coaching campuses in recent years.
A reconstruction of student suicides from May 2025 to April 2026 shows recurring patterns across Telangana. Many cases involved Intermediate students or NEET aspirants who feared failing examinations, struggled with hostel life, or were allegedly under pressure over marks and performance.
Several deaths were reported immediately after Intermediate results or supplementary examinations. Eleven students died across Telangana on April 13 alone after Inter results were declared. Cases were reported from Nalgonda, Nacharam, Medak, Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Suryapet, Rangareddy, Siddipet, Sangareddy and Nirmal districts. Cases through the year repeatedly mentioned fear of failure, inability to cope with pressure, harassment allegations, humiliation, hostel distress or emotional isolation.
Hostel-linked cases also appeared in equal numbers. Out of 14 examined corporate-college and coaching-linked cases, 13 involved hostel residents or students tied to residential campuses.
Several publicly reported notes and family testimonies carried similar themes. Students apologised to parents, spoke about emotional exhaustion, separation from family, academic fear or inability to cope with hostel conditions. Another recurring allegation involved delayed communication with parents after incidents or earlier complaints allegedly going unheard.
The TGBIE itself had flagged counselling gaps during inspections in December 2025 and said trained counsellors and psychiatrists were missing in several private and corporate junior colleges across the state. Officials said many colleges had appointed senior faculty members as counsellors, though they were not trained mental-health professionals.
Citing the inspection of around 30 per cent of colleges, officials said institutions had been instructed to make campuses less stressful through recreation, sports and meditation sessions. Colleges were also asked to use the Tele-MANAS mental-health support facility.
P. Jawaharlal Nehru, psychologist with Tele-MANAS Telangana, said the gap between formal counselling claims and actual emotional support remains a serious concern. He said government norms require colleges to appoint psychologists, but most colleges failed to implement it.
“A teacher cannot replace a trained mental-health professional,” he said. According to him, counsellors should function independently and remain accessible beyond classroom hours because many students hesitate to be seen entering counselling rooms during the day.
“Students need a space where they can ventilate emotions without fear of judgment. Otherwise they begin to feel nobody understands them,” he said.
The psychologist said counselling should involve parents wherever necessary and teachers should identify emotional distress before it escalates. He added that students can seek support through Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1800-89-14416.
Dr Vishal Akula, chairperson of the Addiction Medicine Specialty Section of the Indian Psychiatric Society, said the latest death should not be viewed as an isolated tragedy.
“A student may tolerate academic pressure if there is emotional safety, supportive teachers, access to parents, and professional counselling. But when pressure is combined with isolation, constant testing, fear of failure and limited emotional expression, the risk increases,” he said.
Akula said many institutions claimed to have counsellors, but counselling often became mixed with discipline, attendance monitoring, academic ranking or motivational sessions.
“True counselling must be confidential, non-punitive, student-friendly, and handled by trained mental-health professionals,” he said, adding that many students avoid seeking help because they fear being labelled “weak,” “poor performers,” or “problematic.”
Akula said Telangana should make trained counsellors mandatory in all residential junior colleges and coaching campuses, with one counsellor for every 250 to 500 students, private counselling rooms, suicide-risk screening systems, anti-bullying protocols and psychiatric referral access.
Mental-health professionals said warning signs often include sudden withdrawal, fear of returning to hostel, hopelessness, sleep disturbances, irritability, crying spells, self-harm talk and sharp behavioural changes.
Students preparing for CBSE and CISCE examinations can also access counselling support through board-linked helplines. CBSE’s counselling support numbers include 1800-11-8004 and 1800-11-8002, while CISCE students can contact the CARE support line at 08047-362020.
The story was written by Prathyush Nallella, Mrittika Banerje, Amatallah Waheed
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
