Background 

Another student at National Law University Odisha (NLU Odisha) has died by suicide for the second time in about a year. Aniraj Mansa Tudu, a fourth-year student from a Scheduled Tribe, has Bowen  identified as the student. He passed dead in a Bhubaneswar apartment complex, some 32 km from the NLUO Campus. Unknown are the causes of his death.

The contention from Both parties 

According to an NLU Odisha student, the management is extremely rigid and severe and causes unneeded problems for students in the name of discipline. Additionally, it was stated that the student body had issues with the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar because of their callous behaviour towards students, particularly in times of crisis.

According to the institution, “Any allegations of harassment and mental stress of any student made in the name of discipline are untrue as neither the student who committed suicide earlier this year nor this student was subject to any disciplinary action by the institution.No disciplinary guidelines are implemented without first consulting the Student Council, as all university-wide guidelines have been developed in cooperation with them. Consultation with the Student Council is a University-instituted practice The Student Council is an elected body made up of student representatives.

Suggestion for preventing suicide cases in university                   

• Regarding the steps taken by the administration to prevent future occurrences of this kind and to lessen the stress endured by students, Prof. Kumari listed a total of 11 mental health-related projects carried out by the University. These consist of 24-hour-a-day emotional wellness counselling for students provided through a memorandum of understanding with the online counselling service YourDOST; sessions on stress reduction, early intervention for suicidal thoughts, and mental health programmes; and a psychology clinic. 
• The Health and Wellness Committee of the University has been regularly holding workshops to train students in identifying students with Red Flags indicating mental health issues or needing support. 
• With the exception of exceptional events, the university’s grounds are not accessible to the general public. Only parents are permitted to visit students in their college residences, and every visitor’s entry and exit are logged. To promote the value of inclusivity while taking into account the diverse geological, linguistic, cultural, gender, and sexual identities of its students, NLUO often hosts awareness activities and seminars. The University has a number of committees that work to ensure the safety of its students on campus, including an anti-ragging committee, a proctor board, an anti-discrimination committee, hostel wardens, an internal complaints committee, and a gender sensitization committee, among others.