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Under Pressure: High-Stakes Exams and Media-Reported Student Suicides in India

Author

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  • Banerjee, Subarna
  • Sen, Gitanjali

Abstract

We estimate the association between high-stakes exams and student suicides in India using geocoded, high-frequency media data. Student suicides rise by 17.5 percent during NEET-UG or JEE-Mains exam months, with no comparable pattern around lower-stakes board exams or among adults. Stronger associations are seen among girls. Associations being higher in high-participation states, urbanised districts, and in months when high-stakes and board exams coincide suggest that peer pressure and economic incentives in highly competitive environments may worsen mental health. Using cyclone and election months as potential drivers of media attention, we rule out media bias driving our results. Event-study estimates show suicides concentrating in months before and during exams, with a weaker association around result announcements. While falsification exercises strengthen our findings, Oster Bounds analysis addresses potential omitted variable bias. Lacking granular mental health data, we generate an alternative database to address a key policy question that can spur future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Banerjee, Subarna & Sen, Gitanjali, 2026. "Under Pressure: High-Stakes Exams and Media-Reported Student Suicides in India," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1781, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1781
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    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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