Srinagar, May 28 -- According to a study, student suicides in India are rising at an alarming rate, 4% annually, double the overall suicide trend. The numbers have jumped from 6,654 in 2011 to over 13,000 in 2021. These are the lives and families being wrecked. And we need to talk about this. More so in places like Kashmir, where open conversations around mental health are still rare, and the silence can be deadly.

This is why our schools, coaching centres, and even families must make mental well-being a priority. Counselling shouldn't be a last resort, it should be available from the start. More importantly, children must know that their worth is not tied to a rank card or an exam result. They are not failures for choosing a different p...