Bhubaneswar: In a disturbing trend, Odisha has recorded a significant increase in student suicide cases, with a 59% jump in deaths between 2021 and 2023.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presented the data in response to a question by MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, highlighting the need for urgent attention to address the growing concern of student suicides in the state.
According to data presented in the state Assembly on Monday, 189 students took their own lives in 2023, up from 119 in 2021. The total number of student suicides between 2021 and 2023 stands at 481, with 218 boys and 263 girls affected.
The data presented by CM Majhi also revealed that 58 boys and 61 girls students committed suicide in 2021, while in 2023, 85 boys and 104 girls have committed suicide. In 2022, 173 students including 75 boys and 98 girls have died by suicide across the state.
The data exposed a disproportionate increase in suicides among girls, with a 70% rise between 2021 and 2023. In contrast, farmer suicides remained low, with only four cases reported between 2021 and 2023.
CM Majhi said that only four cases of suicide by farmers have been reported in the state from 2021 to 2023.
Meanwhile, the overall suicide rate in the state saw a slight decline, with 5,989 cases reported in 2023, down from 6,140 in 2022. In 2021, as many as 5,649 persons died by suicide in the state.
