"Building Collapse and Coaching Deaths Expose Systemic Failures in Student Safety"
Article 21A
Constitutional provision guaranteeing the right to education as a fundamental right.
103rd Constitutional Amendment
Extended reservation benefits to Economically Weaker Sections under Articles 15(4) and 16(4).
India's higher education system rests on a constitutional and statutory framework that assigns the state a central role in providing accessible, quality education. Article 21A guarantees the right to education, and Article 41 directs the state to make effective provision for education within its economic capacity. The University Grants Commission Act, 1956 governs standards across universities, while the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 grants premier technical institutions the status of institutions of national importance. Despite this framework, decades of inadequate public investment in higher education have created a structural gap. Public universities were designed for a different era and a different student profile. Their residential infrastructure has not kept pace with enrolment growth, demographic shifts, or the geographic spread of incoming students.
The social profile of students most affected by this gap is important. A large share of students seeking higher education in cities like Delhi, Kota, and Hyderabad are internal migrants from smaller towns and rural areas. Many come from first-generation learner families, from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Class, and Economically Weaker Section backgrounds. Reservation policy under Articles 15(4) and 16(4), extended by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment to Economically Weaker Sections, has widened formal access to elite institutions. But access to a seat is not the same as access to a safe, supportive environment. The infrastructure of belonging, affordable housing, mental health support, and regulated coaching spaces, has not kept pace with expanding enrolment.
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 decriminalised attempted suicide and established a right to mental health care. The National Education Policy, 2020 explicitly mandated counselling services in higher educational institutions. Yet implementation remains deeply uneven across institutions and cities.
Delhi University illustrates the structural mismatch between enrolment and residential capacity at Indian public universities. The university has over 2.5 lakh students enrolled in conventional mode. More than half come from states other than Delhi. Yet total hostel capacity falls far short of this demand. The vacuum left by the state is filled by private operators: unregulated paying guest accommodations, private hostels, and coaching centres that operate without consistent safety oversight. These establishments often function in old, poorly maintained buildings in dense urban neighbourhoods, with little regulatory scrutiny.
The coaching industry presents a parallel problem. Cities like Kota and Delhi host large concentrations of students preparing for competitive entrance examinations. These students live in rented rooms or hostels attached to coaching centres, often in cramped and unsafe conditions. …
Explain why suicide among young women is increasing in Indian society.
Consider the following statements regarding the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017:
1.It decriminalised attempted suicide by removing it from the purview of the Indian Penal Code.
2.It established a statutory right to mental health care for every person in India.
3.It mandated the establishment of counselling centres in all higher educational institutions.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding constitutional provisions for reservation in educational institutions:
1.Article 15(4) enables the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
2.Article 16(4) provides for reservation in matters of public employment, not educational admissions.
3.The 103rd Constitutional Amendment extended reservation to Economically Weaker Sections in both educational institutions and public employment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Match the following legislative/policy instruments with their primary provisions related to education and student welfare:
List I (Instrument) — List II (Primary Provision)
A.Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 — 1. Mandated counselling services in higher educational institutions
B.National Education Policy, 2020 — 2. Decriminalised attempted suicide; established right to mental health care
C.University Grants Commission Act, 1956 — 3. Governs coordination and maintenance of standards in university education
D.103rd Constitutional Amendment — 4. Extended 10% reservation to Economically Weaker Sections
Select the correct answer:
With reference to the National Education Policy, 2020, consider the following statements:
1.It set a target of public expenditure on education at 6% of GDP.
2.It mandated the establishment of counselling and emotional well-being services in higher educational institutions.
3.It recommended abolishing all private higher educational institutions in favour of public universities.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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