Goa continues to be rattled by student deaths. Five months after a student was found dead at the BITS Pilani campus at Sancoale, the tragic death of a 19-year-old student from Vasco has once again cast a dark shadow over the educational landscape, bringing into focus the deep-rooted issues of academic pressure, institutional insensitivity, and mental health neglect. Incidentally, this tragedy came on a day when the Goa Legislative Assembly was deliberating on issues affecting students, their welfare and mental health, besides suicides and substance abuse.
The Vasco incident reportedly stemmed from the allegation that the student could not attend the higher secondary examinations. This case once again brings forth a heartbreaking reality that, behind the glossy facade of academic excellence, is a fragile mental health issue that is sensitive and needs urgent attention. It also brings forth the insensitivity of institutes.
A palpable sense of concern was seen among legislators when the issue was discussed inside the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, with members of the Opposition emphasising the importance of counselling. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assertion that the government is appointing more counsellors to cover all colleges and reviewing mental health policies is a welcome step, but what the State is offering currently may not be enough.
There is a need to look at the issue holistically and from a much wider perspective. For example, junior counsellors who do not have the skill or experience in handling complex cases are being deputed. Counselling is also about building trust with the student, and hence, mental conditioning could take months, if not years. Dedicated counsellors, along with fairly experienced minds, need to be deployed for the job.
The spate of student suicides and some drug-related incidents points to systemic issues that cannot be addressed solely through counselling. It may be recalled that between December 2024 and August 2025, the BITS Pilani campus reported five student deaths, sending shock waves across the education fraternity. Institutional insensitivity plays a big role. The Vasco girl’s parents claimed that she was pressured into signing documents, leading her into a withdrawn state. This indicates that the priorities of institutions were playing in the background.
The new system of education may be intended to ease academic pressures, but on the flip side, the Vasco incident raises the very questions that are intended to be resolved — the culture of high-stakes evaluation and the obsession with performance metrics. This death serves as a warning bell yet again that the focus must shift, because students are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
Goa has seen a similar pattern of despair, where academic stress, fear of failure, and the stigma surrounding mental health have drawn students into a whirlpool, eventually leading them to take drastic steps or end their lives. The rise of drug abuse, as highlighted by the chief minister, further compounds the problem. The government’s acknowledgment of these issues is a step forward, but implementation and accountability remain critical.
The House proceedings reflected an understanding of these challenges, but the real test lies in translating commitments into tangible change. We have heard the same talk earlier. Counselling is non-negotiable across all educational institutes. However, for this to succeed, schools and colleges need to play a big part in creating a healthy eco-system through compassionate means. Students should be provided a safe environment where their struggles are heard, without being judged or penalised.
The Vasco tragedy comes as a clarion call for urgent action and demands a collective effort involving policy reforms, institutional accountability, and a cultural shift.
