Odisha sees 59% rise in student suicides from 2021 to 2023

Bhubaneswar, Sept 3: Odisha has witnessed a troubling rise in student suicides, with a 59% increase in deaths from 2021 to 2023, according to recent data. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi shared these statistics in response to questions raised by MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, underscoring the urgent need to tackle this crisis.

Data revealed that in 2023, 189 students took their own lives, a significant rise from 119 in 2021. Over the three-year period, a total of 481 student suicides were reported, comprising 218 boys and 263 girls.

The figures show a stark increase in suicides among girls, with a 70% rise from 2021 to 2023. For comparison, suicides among boys also increased, but less dramatically. In 2022, 173 students, including 75 boys and 98 girls, died by suicide.

Farmer suicides were relatively low, with only four cases reported between 2021 and 2023. Overall, the state saw a slight decrease in the total suicide rate, with 5,989 cases in 2023, down from 6,140 in 2022. In 2021, the number was 5,649.