Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) is fitting hostel ceiling fans with spring-loaded safety mechanisms, adding a physical safeguard as India’s student mental-health task force approaches a final-report deadline.
Vice-Chancellor Dr K N Chavda told The Indian Express that an unusual load activates the spring mechanism and brings the fan down. He said the device is intended to prevent hanging attempts.
Reports published Oct. 23, 2026, gave different installation totals. The Indian Express reported 268 fans installed. VNSGU sources, as reported by the newspaper, said the university had ordered 375 fans through the Government e-Marketplace at Rs 2,247 apiece, for Rs 8.42 lakh. India Today reported 388 fans installed across nine hostels and a price above Rs 2,500 per fan. NDTV Profit reported 354 fans fitted and cited Dainik Bhaskar for an estimated cost of about Rs 1,500 per fan, or Rs 5.31 lakh overall.
University officials told The Indian Express that 840 students live in 312 hostel rooms. VNSGU counselors Vishakha Yadav, Shilpa Yadav, Chandani Desai and Darshan Parmar told the newspaper that physical measures should come with emotional and mental-health support for students.
The Ministry of Education says University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines issued April 13, 2023, call on institutions to address student pressures such as academic and peer strain, career concerns and depression. A separate ministry framework circulated in July 2023 outlines counseling, early recognition of distress and steps to prevent suicide.
A Supreme Court order dated May 27, 2026, set Oct. 31, 2026, as the deadline for the National Task Force on student mental health and suicide prevention to submit its final report. The ministry says its tally since May 2025 includes visits to 30 higher-education institutions across 10 states and 25 stakeholder consultations.
