The Supreme Court mandated the transfer of an investigation to the CBI and established comprehensive mental health guidelines for educational institutions to safeguard student welfare.

JUDGMENT :

SANDEEP MEHTA, J.

(I) INTRODUCTION

1. Heard.

2. Leave granted.

3. The present appeal arises from the judgment and order dated 14th February, 2024, passed by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amravati¹ [Hereinafter being referred to as ‘Andhra Pradesh High Court’] in Writ Petition No. 25381 of 2023, whereby the High Court rejected the appellant’s prayer, seeking transfer of the investigation of FIR No. 148 of 2023 to the Central Bureau of Investigation.² [Hereinafter being referred to as “CBI” The aforesaid FIR was registered following the tragic, unnatural death of the appellant’s 17-year-old daughter, Ms. X, who was undergoing coaching for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination at Aakash Byju’s Institute, Vishakhapatnam. She was staying in a Hostel when the unfortunate incident occurred on 14th July, 2023, leading to her untimely death.

4. Before delving into the factual background and issues of the present case, this Court deems it appropriate to reflect upon the broader underlying generational societal issue, namely, the growing crisis of student suicides in the context of contemporary education. As articulated by numerous philosophers across history, the purpose of education was never confined to mere academic success or professional advancement. Rather, education was envisioned as a means for holistic development, intellectual, emotional, ethical, and spiritual. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his prominent treatise “Emile or On Education”³ [Jean-Jacques Rousseau “Emile, or Education” (Ed. and Trans.) Allan Bloom (New York: Basic Books, 1979)] emphasised that education must be adapted to the developmental needs of the child and should cultivate reason, autonomy, and emotional well-being. He warned against an educational system that neglects the individuality of the learner in pursuit of rigid societal expectations.

5. Jiddu Krishnamurti, in his book “Education and the Significance of Life”⁴ [Jiddu Krishnamurti “Education and the Significance of Life” San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1953] noted that the function of education is to create human beings who are integrated and therefore intelligent. Krishnamurti cautioned against turning education into a system of conformity and performance, warning that the mind of a child must not be conditioned by fear, competition, or compulsion. These philosophical foundations remind us that education is meant to liberate, not burden the learner, and that its true success lies not in grades or rankings but in the holistic growth of a human being capable of living with dignity, confidence, and purpose.

6. Contrary to these ideals, the contemporary academic framework, particularly in the context of competitive examination systems, often subjects students to relentless psychological pressure. The very soul of education appears to have been distorted. Increasingly, education is perceived as a high-stakes race, a pressure-laden path toward narrowly defined goals of achievement, status, and economic security. The joy of learning has been replaced by anxiety over rankings, results, and relentless performance metrics. Students, especially those preparing for competitive examinations, are often caught in a web that rewards conformity over curiosity, output over understanding, and endurance over well-being.

7. In this paradigm, life becomes a series of tests, and failure is seen not as a part of growth but as a devastating end. In a system driven by performance metrics, competition, and institutional rigidity, students are often subjected to immense psychological strain, particularly in environments geared towards hig