Overview

• The court disposed of two petitions by the Aman Satya Kachroo Trust challenging the award of the National Ragging Prevention Programme to Centre for Youth and declined to disturb the contract, which runs through December 31, 2025.
• In an order expressing deep concern over increasingly frequent student suicides, the judges said a proper, functional national Anti-Ragging Helpline is an immediate necessity.
• The bench noted recent reports of additional student suicides, including at IIT Kharagpur, and observed that support systems may not have been accessible or effective for distressed students.
• The order recorded that a Supreme Court‑constituted National Task Force will examine concerns about the programme’s functioning and oversight, with Prof. Rajendra Kachroo serving as a member.
• Petitioners placed data citing over 13,000 student suicides annually with a 4% yearly rise, and the court recorded UGC’s payment of Rs 12.73 lakh to the Trust along with Prof. Kachroo’s offer to monitor the database pro bono.