The Indian academic system is characterised by very rigorous curricula, intense competition, and a strong emphasis on examinations. While these aspects can sometimes be beneficial in fostering discipline and knowledge, they also create a high-pressure environment for students.
‘Academic stress’ is not a new word in the education sector. From parents to teachers to the administration, the word has been bringing more and more worry in India over the years. Many argue that the current academic system places excessive pressure on students due to demanding curricula, standardised testing, and high expectations from parents and society. From parents to teachers to the administration, academic stress and stress in general among students have been bringing more and more worry in India over the years.
In March 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued a ruling regarding students experiencing extreme academic stress in educational institutions. A national task force was set up under former SC judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat to address students’ mental health concerns, identify the predominant causes that lead to students’ suicides and recommend measures to create a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India in Sukdeb Saha vs. State of Andhra Pradesh declared student mental health an integral component of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Various schools and institutions have taken initiatives to mitigate stress and promote mental well-being among students. From having peer-learning programmes to ensuring a counsellor is available on campus, there have been positive developments and initiatives to try to bring down academic stress. Despite the same, the numbers do not help the case much. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data in the ‘Student suicides: An epidemic sweeping India’ report 2024, the overall suicide numbers have increased by 2% annually, and student suicide cases surged by 4%, despite a likely “under-reporting” of student suicide cases. The report also mentioned how student suicides have grown at an alarming annual rate of 4%, double the national average, in the past two decades.
Board examinations, entrance tests and the societal expectations that follow the same often place immense pressure on students, leading to the fear of failure.
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Board exams over extracurriculars
The traditional Indian education system is heavily exam-oriented. More often than not, conversations with all-rounders go this way: “I used to have sports coaching or music classes during the weekend; I stopped everything in 10th grade.” From early schooling years, students are expected to excel in their studies, often at the cost of personal interests, hobbies and, inevitably, their mental well-being. Board examinations, entrance tests and the societal expectations that follow the same often place immense pressure on students, leading to the fear of failure.
Vaibhav Gopinath, a class 12 student, talked about how exam pressure keeps building over the months leading up to it. “We missed out on major holidays and events that happened, like Christmas and New Year’s. We all did feel like we were missing out, but more than that, we were all struck by the fear of not scoring well in the next exam, so we didn’t have the time to complain about all this,” he added.
With increasing subjects, assignments, projects, and homework, students often struggle to manage their time efficiently, leading to burnout. On top of this, parents, though well-intentioned, may unknowingly burden their children with unrealistic expectations, pushing them to excel beyond their limits.
Parent and educator, Sandya Suresh, talks about how the Indian education system, in general, has a very stressful nature due to the quantity of the syllabus. “The exam and mark-oriented attitude on top of this forces the students to mug up their textbooks rather than understand them. Just giving one or two PT periods a week might not solve all the stress that follows the academic pressure put on students. The change needs to come from the grassroots level classes, and the syllabus needs to be cut down according to the topic’s relevance in today’s world,” she adds.
Students writing exam on 10th 10th-grade board exams in Madurai.
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Moorthy G
The principal of Sree Narayana Public School in Kerala, Krishnaprasad S, talked about how parents need to be in a sensitisation session on parenting, handling their stress and not pushing the students to extremes. “Every school should have facilities to identify stress among students; teachers are the best people for the same. Understanding their potential and aptitude instead of pushing them without understanding their side will not help,” he added.
Many students also lack the necessary skills to cope with stress due to inadequate guidance and emotional support from both the side of educational institutions and schools. Without knowing how to cope, they often end up being labelled as a ‘rebel kid’ and unwantedly targeted as well. Enabling access to proper professional mental health is extremely important in situations like these. Implementing mental health awareness programmes and having a counsellor on campus can be a first step towards helping those who need it. Meditation, yoga, and wellness workshops have also been seen to help some of the students manage stress; however, it is important to understand that each student might have different coping mechanisms. Ensuring the same is healthy is more important.
How can one help?
There are mainly two stakeholders who can create an impact on this issue apart from students themselves – teachers and parents. Teachers can offer individual attention to students struggling with academics, recognise signs of stress, and guide students towards appropriate support systems. Students should feel comfortable reaching out to teachers, counsellors, or parents when experiencing academic stress. For this, a friendly and comforting bond between the two is needed.
“We need to make sure the teacher-student ratio decreases as much as a school can afford. If teachers are overloaded with work, it will become more difficult for them to identify red-flag behaviours in children, like a sudden decrease in academic interest,” said Sangeetha P L, a clinical psychologist.
Students of Govt Girls High School, Ernakulam, hug each other after appearing for the last exam of this year’s SSLC examination.
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Thulasi Kakkat
S. Ramakrishnasayee, a professor and guest faculty at La Chatelaine Junior College in Chennai, emphasises how teachers should be generous in their praise. “If a student who has been getting 15 marks out of 100 scores in an examination scores 20 or 25 marks in an examination, it is progress. Progress is not a relative concept. Let the child perform to their potential. Let it progress by and by. Education is all about that,” he added.
“School examinations just have a line of ‘passing marks’, and often the goal becomes to just ensure the students get past that rather than gain any knowledge in class. That system needs to change,” says P N Suresh, a students’ mentor and career counsellor from Kerala.
Another step that can help is through the governments. They can allocate resources to ensure schools have trained counsellors available to help students as well as conduct national awareness programmes to educate students, teachers, and parents on the importance of mental well-being and how to address stress effectively. There can also be training programmes for teachers to recognise early signs of anxiety and depression to ensure early intervention and better student support. Even though there are programmes initiated, the implementation has not been successful, as the number mentioned earlier points out. To bridge the gap between policy and implementation, schools must ensure that mental health initiatives are effectively integrated into the curriculum.
Ramakrishnasayee says, “Students can have stress-free studies if they are given freedom to pursue subjects of their choice. Parents and teachers should find out the students’ aptitude and guide them. With the judicious mix of freedom and discipline, children can achieve optimum progress in academics.” Another major stakeholder is parents, as they will be able to understand their child’s strengths and skills over the years and set realistic expectations. With open communication and ensuring a reliable support system, they can also ensure the student feels free to approach them in case of extreme stress.
Children playing in a park on Visakhapatnam beach.
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V Raju
Sangeetha also mentions how the lack of physical play and activities often increases the stress that students face. “I believe ensuring skill-based education rather than being mark-obsessed will definitely ensure a better learning space for children,” she added.
Moreover, collaboration between school authorities, teachers, parents, and students is essential in fostering a holistic education system that prioritises mental well-being alongside academic success. A collective effort towards reducing academic stress will lead to happier, healthier, and more productive students who are better prepared for the challenges of the future.