According to Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, intelligence is not limited to a single scale, nor can it simply be measured in levels or grades, as is usually done through IQ tests. Rather, every human being possesses intelligence, and the human mind comprises a range of different abilities and talents. In his famous 1983 book, Frames of Mind, Gardner categorised these abilities into different basic types.
It is important to understand that this classification is not based on individuals but on their tendencies. In other words, a person may have a greater inclination towards one particular ability or a combination of abilities, while showing a relatively lower inclination towards others. Gardner identified the following eight types of intelligence: (a) linguistic intelligence, (b) logical-mathematical intelligence, (c) visual-spatial intelligence, (d) bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, (e) musical intelligence, (f) interpersonal intelligence, (g) intrapersonal intelligence, and (h) naturalistic intelligence.
In fact, the theory emphasises that these characteristics exist in different proportions in every individual. Therefore, the education system should provide every student with appropriate opportunities to identify, develop and strengthen their unique abilities. Keeping these differences in mind, teachers should pay attention not only to academic performance but also to each student’s learning, development and individual potential. Parents, too, need to assess their children in the light of these differences and help create opportunities for them to progress through the education system in ways suited to their abilities.
When Grades Become the Measure of Intelligence
On the contrary, the educational, economic and social system we are part of today appears to be structured largely around promoting one particular kind of intelligence. Children who are constantly given examples of what are considered “good” or “successful” children within their families are often subjected to psychological pressure. They are made to believe that they are inferior to others and that they must work harder to become like those who are seen as successful.
In other words, the greatest emphasis is placed on grades. In such circumstances, students with different kinds of intelligence are compelled, directly or indirectly, to fit into an education system based primarily on grades, while their individual interests, abilities and aspirations are often ignored.
This is why the attention of both students and parents today is overwhelmingly focused on obtaining good grades. Since high grades can help students gain admission to good universities, the pursuit continues after graduation, with students, families and society collectively chasing a “good” company, a good job, a good salary and other markers of conventional success.
As a result, students and parents expect children to perform brilliantly at school and secure the highest possible grades. At times, however, these expectations become a source of intense mental, psychological and financial pressure for both students and their families. This can have serious consequences for public health, with physical and psychological problems emerging among young people. Symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety, chest pain, shortness of breath, blurred vision, dizziness, confusion and weakness can affect students in many ways, both physically and emotionally.
In many cases, the pressure begins during school education and continues as students struggle to meet the standards of success imposed by the grading system and society. Those who fail to reach the level of success expected of them may face intense mental, familial and social pressure. For some, a sense of failure, disappointment and humiliation can become so overwhelming that they may contemplate or die by suicide at an early stage of life.
Academic Pressure Is Taking a Toll on Student Mental Health
To address student mental health and suicide in India, the Supreme Court of India constituted a National Task Force headed by Justice S Ravindra Bhatt (Retd) in March 2025. Its objective was to identify structural issues, academic stress and discrimination in educational institutions and suggest preventive measures. The task force was also mandated to prepare comprehensive recommendations for creating an inclusive and supportive environment for students in educational institutions and addressing systemic deficiencies.
The task force has submitted its interim report to the Supreme Court. The report emphasises that student suicides need to be addressed as a broader social and structural issue rather than treated merely as a mental-health concern. The latest updates, guidelines and government reports related to the task force are available on the official website of the National Task Force of India (www.ntf.education.gov.in). If you or someone you know is experiencing severe mental distress, government helplines and other professional support services can be approached for immediate assistance.
What India Is Doing to Address Student Suicide
“Manodarpan” is a national-level initiative of the Ministry of Education, formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to provide psychosocial support for the mental health and emotional well-being of students, teachers and families.
The initiative provides resources on mental health, frequently asked questions, posters, videos and guidance. It also offers a 24×7 toll-free helpline at 8448440632, along with tele-counselling services provided by trained psychologists. A national database of counsellors in schools, colleges and universities has also been developed. In addition, a handbook on 21st-century skills is available to help students develop resilience and life skills, along with online tools, chats and apps for psychological support.
Study Links Academic Pressure to Depression and Self-Harm
Meanwhile, a new international study has revealed that the academic pressure faced by young people can have profound and lasting effects on their mental health. The study found that such pressure is associated with an increased risk of self-harm, and that this effect can persist into early adulthood, up to the age of 24.
Published in the renowned journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the research was conducted by experts from University College London. The researchers examined the lives of around 4,700 young people born in 1991 or 1992. The long-term study, known as “Children of the 90s”, has followed the health and well-being of its participants for years.
The researchers found that young people who considered school work more stressful at the age of 15 subsequently showed more symptoms of depression. They also reported that higher academic pressure was associated with an increased risk of self-harm, with each one-point increase in stress associated with an eight per cent increase in risk.
The findings suggest that the effects of academic pressure can extend from secondary school into early adulthood. The researchers recommended school-level interventions to reduce overall academic pressure and improve young people’s mental health. Interventions that promote social and emotional skills, as well as relaxation techniques, could help reduce examination-related stress.
The researchers also noted that parents can play a positive role in reducing academic pressure by encouraging young people to remain physically active, socialise and get adequate sleep. The findings were also said to be consistent with surveys of young people who sat their GCSE and O-level examinations, many of whom reported struggling with suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
Why Student Suicide Is More Than a Mental Health Issue
The fact is that the world continues to suffer from many of the same forms of oppression and exploitation that have existed for generations. At the same time, corruption has gradually weakened the foundations of the systems that govern contemporary society. The fragmented family structure and the declining attention given by parents to their children have, in many cases, robbed children of the innocence of childhood at an increasingly early age.
The widening gap between the rich and the poor has further undermined self-esteem and human dignity. In these circumstances, weakening standards of justice and equality, along with decisions and developments within institutions, have contributed to a range of modern social problems.
Moreover, in the present circumstances, when the acquisition of wealth has become the central focus of almost every effort and endeavour, it has had negative consequences for human thinking, understanding, reflection, relationships, the fulfilment of responsibilities and a sense of accountability.
Therefore, it is important to understand the kind of home, family and social environment in which today’s students are growing up. What kind of turmoil is taking place within their ideas, thoughts and actions? What pressures are shaping their understanding of success and failure?
At the same time, the various forms of mental pressure discussed above have combined to create immense hopes and expectations on the one hand, while becoming a source of extreme disappointment on the other. This entire scenario is not merely the result of individual desires and expectations. The prevailing social and economic system is itself a major factor behind these pressures.
This prevailing system has shaped our ideas and aspirations. It has promoted exploitation and material desires, while at the same time proving increasingly unsuccessful in resolving the problems it has helped create. Examples and evidence of this failure are visible everywhere.
Therefore, incidents of mental distress and suicide among students will not stop merely by launching schemes or relying on the media, social media and technology. These measures may provide support, but they cannot address the deeper structural causes of the problem.
What is required is the establishment of justice and equality, a firm system to ensure that people receive their basic rights, and a clean and accountable system that provides practical ways to overcome hopelessness and disappointment.
Those who think, reflect and influence society must pay attention to these issues. Policymaking institutions and individuals must acknowledge their shortcomings and take meaningful steps to address them. Only then can positive change emerge.
Our students must be given the opportunity to understand that their worth cannot be determined by grades, rankings, salaries or conventional measures of success. Their lives are far more precious than any examination result or social expectation. They should be supported in discovering their abilities, nurturing their potential and building lives in which they can find dignity, purpose and hope.
