Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressed his sorrow over the reported suicides of students and asked what our institutions are doing wrong for such tragedies to occur. He highlighted the recent case of a Dalit student at IIT Bombay who was a victim of such an incident, and pointed out that these unfortunate events involving people from marginalised communities are becoming more frequent.
Speaking at the NALSAR convocation, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) stated that judges in India have an essential duty to communicate with the public in and outside of courtrooms to help bring about social change. He referred to the recent suicide of a Dalit student at IIT Bombay and an Adivasi student at the National Law University in Odisha from the previous year. Expressing his sympathies to the families of the students, the CJI questioned what has gone wrong in the institutions that these students felt the need to take their own lives.
Justice Chandrachud commented on the alleged suicide of Darshan Solanki, a first year student from Gujarat who was studying at IIT Bombay. He noted that incidents of suicide from marginalized groups are becoming increasingly frequent, and that these are not mere statistics, but are often stories that reflect centuries of struggle. He went on to say that in order to address this problem, it is necessary to first recognize and acknowledge it, emphasizing the importance of both the mental health of students and lawyers. He further suggested that education curriculums should teach compassion and that academic leaders should be more aware of the issues their students may have.
Justice Chandrachud argued that discrimination is connected to the absence of empathy in educational systems. As the Chief Justice of India, in addition to his judicial and managerial responsibilities, he is committed to highlighting the structural issues that are facing society. He indicated that educational institutions should take the initiative to encourage empathy.
