Seven Telangana students die by suicide after intermediate exam results

Seven students, including two girls, allegedly died by suicide hours after the Telangana state board released the results of the Intermediate Public Examination 2024 for the first (equivalent of Class 11) and second year (Class 12). Police said the deaths were reported in the last 48 hours after the results were released on Wednesday, PTI reported.

Mahabubabad Superintendent of Police said the two girls who allegedly took their lives failed in the examination.

The cases were reported from Rajendranagar, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Khammam, Mahabubabad, and Kollur.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the first case was reported in Mancherial district where a 16-year-old hanged himself at his residence. The student had failed in four subjects.

The students who died by suicide were aged 16 or 17 years. Police said they took their lives by hanging, jumping into a community well, or drowning in a pond.

More than 9.8 lakh students appeared for the intermediate exam that was conducted earlier this year. Around 61.06% of students (2.87 lakh) passed in the first year (equivalent of Class 11). The pass percentage was 69.46% (3.22 lakh) in the second year.

In 2019, 22 students died by suicide in Telangana after the intermediate results were released.

Telangana accounts for 5 per cent of student suicides in the country. The state ranked 11th among the 28 states in 2022 as per the National Crime Records Bureau. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh were the top three states with the highest number of student suicides.