Campus deaths in Goa: Concerns for Goans across globe
The writer is a social commentator in the UK, who takes a keen interest in affairs and socio-economic matters in the UK and Goa
The death of Vaishnavi, a 20-year-old Bengaluru student from the BITS Pilani Goa campus, is heartbreaking, not least for her family, and all her close friends. No number of condolence messages, however well-intentioned, can ever fill the void her loved ones must now endure. How does a young person, so full of promise and hope, end up meeting such a tragic end? Our thoughts must be with her close family and friends.
What makes this loss even more disturbing is that this is reportedly the sixth suicide at the institution in the last 13 months. One is already one too many. Six in such a short span is deeply alarming.
Undoubtedly, the Goa government, the South Goa Collector, and other authorities will conduct investigations and inquiries. They usually do, they must do and they must also be allowed to do their work without any interference and political pressures. But the more pressing question is not ‘what will be investigated’, but ‘what will actually change’. Experience tells us that most inquiries, though well-meaning, tend to lose momentum over time and deliver little lasting impact.
In September 2025, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, elevated statutory rights under the ‘Mental Healthcare Act, 2017’ to constitutional obligations, laying down specific guidelines for educational institutions. What changed between 2017 and 2025 – and what has meaningfully changed since that ruling last year is unclear. Regardless, none of the answers will bring solace to Vaishnavi’s parents.
According to a Times of India article (October 4, 2025), nearly 70% of students reported anxiety – this includes depression and elevated psychological distress. If the scale of the problem is so well documented, then the obvious question follows: what exactly is not working?
Has student mental wellbeing been reduced to a tick-box exercise following the 2025 Supreme Court ruling? Is it that the Supreme Court’s one-size-fits-all directive, however well intentioned, is simply inadequate across vastly different educational environments, from schools to universities? These are questions the current investigations must confront honestly. Otherwise, the discourse will collapse into a blame game, and the real issues affecting students will remain unaddressed – the inquiry into Vaishnavi’s death will be a wasted opportunity to help all other students.
Mental health challenges in UK
Anxiety and mental health challenges are universal. They recognise no borders, no jurisdictions, and certainly no compliance checklists. The UK has grappled with these issues for years – not just among students, but across the workforce, the unemployed, the care sector, and society at large.
The Covid pandemic only exacerbated these pressures. None of us should feel ashamed, including myself, to admit being in terrifyingly hopeless circumstances that could have caused us a lot of stress and anxiety.
With India now ploughing ahead at breakneck speed to achieving superpower status, it is almost certain that the family model that is so unique to India will face family issues, marriage breakdowns, and other challenges – something that the youngsters could find very difficult to cope with.
One notable difference with the UK in dealing with mental health issues is the sustained effort to de-stigmatise mental health. In the UK today, anxiety and stress are openly discussed, and seeking help is encouraged. Mental health advocacy has been championed not only by institutions, but by individuals across public life. Initiatives such as ‘Heads Together’ and ‘Shout 85258’, spearheaded by members of the British Royal Family, have arguably done more to normalise mental health conversations than many government programmes.
This offers an important lesson for Goan, and more broadly, Indian educational institutions. While governments and courts can provide frameworks, guidance, and legislation, can mental health truly be addressed through a uniform approach?
In the UK, students themselves have played a crucial role. Across universities, students collaborate to develop support material tailored to their own campuses. While individual causes of distress may vary, support systems do not always need to be reinvented – often they simply need to be adapted.
Numerous organisations in the UK operate within this ecosystem. From the university application stage via UCAS, students are encouraged to acknowledge mental wellbeing challenges early. Platforms such as ‘Globally Minded’ support international students, while charities like ‘Student Minds’ and ‘Mind’ provide extensive resources. Seeking help should not be seen as weakness, but as a responsibility.
Collaborations towards mental health
There is a compelling case for Goan colleges and institutions to collaborate both within India and through their international academic partnerships across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the United States. Learning from these networks could lead to more nuanced, campus-specific approaches to student mental health. Perhaps those partners could also learn from their Indian affiliates.
What is needed is understanding, adaptability, and the courage to admit that existing systems, guidance and legislation, however well-intentioned, are failing the very people they are meant to protect. Because when young lives are repeatedly being lost, compliance is not enough. We all need to take care of our young ones – we all must do our utmost to assist, guide and support them and their mental wellbeing.
