Beyond the Black Robe: Confronting the Silent Mental Health Crisis in India’s Law Schools 

In a powerful critique of the current state of legal education, Dr. Pallab Das highlights a severe mental health crisis among Indian law students, arguing that prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs) must abandon their “show business” focus on superficial metrics and prioritize student well-being to combat an epidemic of depression, anxiety, and tragically, student suicides that now outnumber farmer suicides in India.

He identifies the transition from high school through highly competitive entrance exams into a pressure-cooker environment of academic rigor, societal expectations, and institutional neglect as key drivers, with loneliness often culminating in serious disorders. Dr. Das calls for a proactive, human-centric approach—moving beyond token policies—by implementing genuine mentorship, robust counseling services, faculty training in empathy, and, most importantly, fostering a culture where students feel safe to speak openly about their struggles without stigma, emphasizing that connection and awareness are more critical than further legislation.

Beyond the Black Robe: Confronting the Silent Mental Health Crisis in India’s Law Schools 

The image of a law student is often one of polished confidence—a future advocate debating in moot courts, interning at top firms, and embarking on a prestigious career. But beneath this veneer of ambition and intellect, a silent epidemic is raging. In the hallowed halls of India’s National Law Universities (NLUs) and beyond, students are grappling with a profound mental health crisis, one that is too often met with institutional indifference and societal stigma until it’s too late. 

This isn’t merely anecdotal. The recent Supreme Court constitution of a national task force on student suicides came with a chilling observation: the number of students taking their own lives has now surpassed the number of farmer suicides in India. It is against this grim backdrop that voices like Dr. Pallab Das, Dean of the School of Law at Centurion University, Odisha, are rising with urgency and a powerful message: NLUs must quit the “show business” and start prioritizing the human beings in their classrooms. 

The Perfect Storm: Why Law Students Are Particularly Vulnerable 

To understand the crisis, one must first recognize the unique pressures that converge on a law student’s life. 

1. The Pressure Cooker of Entry:The journey begins not in university, but in the grueling coaching centers for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Students transition from the structured environment of high school into a high-stakes, all-or-nothing race. This pressure is compounded by societal and parental expectations, where choosing law can still be tinged with the outdated notion of “jokuch nahin kar paata, woh law karta hai” (those who can’t do anything else, do law). As Dr. Das points out, the lack of proper mentorship for 14-16-year-olds making career-defining decisions is a critical failure point. “We do not know who we are at the age of 15, 16,” he notes, highlighting the chasm between youthful expectation and the often harsh reality of legal practice. 
2. The “Show Business” of Modern Legal Education:Dr. Das’s most potent critique is aimed at the culture of performative prestige, particularly within NLUs. He accuses them of becoming a “show business,” where the focus is on outward metrics of success—placements, moot court wins, publications—while the individual student is reduced to a cog in a machine.

The semester begins, and a relentless cycle of assignments, lectures, and internships ensues. In this environment, a student struggling with loneliness or falling behind can easily become invisible. The system is designed for efficiency, not empathy. Faculty and administrators, often overburdened themselves, may lack the bandwidth or training to identify and support students in distress. The result is an environment where suffering is silent and stigma thrives. 

Mapping the Inner Turmoil: Common Mental Health Disorders 

Dr. Das’s research, detailed in his book Understanding Mental Health through the Prism of Law, identifies several prevalent mental health disorders among law students, which he thoughtfully reframes as “disorders”—something out of order in the body, not a mark of shame. 

• The Pathway from Loneliness to Depression: The most common entry point is a persistent feeling of loneliness. In a highly competitive environment where everyone seems to be succeeding, admitting isolation can feel like admitting failure. This prolonged loneliness often culminates in clinical depression, a debilitating condition that saps motivation, focus, and hope. 

• The Constant Companion: Anxiety: Rarely does depression travel alone. Anxiety is its frequent partner. The fear of cold-calling in class, the pressure of semester exams, the uncertainty of future careers, and the constant comparison with peers create a fertile ground for anxiety disorders that can manifest as panic attacks, insomnia, and chronic stress. 

• Beyond Mood: Bipolar and Eating Disorders: Dr. Das also highlights the presence of bipolar disorder, characterized by extreme swings in mood, and eating disorders like bulimia. These are often more hidden but equally devastating, pointing to the complex ways in which psychological distress manifests. 

From Reactive to Proactive: A Blueprint for Institutional Change 

The typical institutional response to this crisis is tragically reactionary. A student suicide triggers a flurry of meetings, assemblies, and promises of change, only for the conversation to die down as exams and internships take over. To break this cycle, Dr. Das advocates for concrete, proactive steps. 

1. Dismantle the “Show Business” Culture:This starts at the top. University leadership must shift its core metric of success from purely academic and placement numbers to include student well-being. This means celebrating resilience and recovery as much as academic brilliance.
2. Move Beyond Pen-Paper Policies:Many institutions have mental health policies on paper, including partnerships with counseling services. The reality, as Dr. Dasobserves, is often a mere “issuing of red flags” without meaningful follow-up. Universities must invest in robust, on-ground counseling centers with qualified professionals who are a visible and integrated part of campus life. 
3. Mandate and Normalize Support Systems:The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) directive for every university to have a Tele-MANAS helpline is a start, but implementation is key. Furthermore, faculty and staff need mandatory mental health first-aid training. The dismissive attitude of some faculty—”students will take the excuse of depression to not come to class”—must be replaced with empathy and a willingness to create a supportive, flexible learning environment.
4. Foster a Culture of Open Dialogue:The most powerful tool against stigma is conversation. Universities must actively create forums for students and faculty to speak openly about mental health. When authority figures like Dr. Das openly share their own struggles with clinical anxiety, it shatters the illusion of perfection and gives others permission to be vulnerable.

A Message to Students: It’s Okay Not to Be Okay 

For the law student in the thick of this struggle, Dr. Das’s advice is profoundly personal and liberating. 

“It’s okay,” he says. “Something can happen chemically inside your body. And if you admit it openly, it is much more liberating.” He normalizes mental health conditions by comparing them to physical ailments like diabetes—both require medical attention and management, and neither is a source of shame. 

His second piece of advice is a call to action for collective healing: “If you want to eradicate the stigmatisation of mental health, please talk about it if you have gone through it.” This shared vulnerability is the bedrock of a more compassionate community. 

The Road Ahead: Beyond Legislation to Human Connection 

While India has progressive laws like the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which decriminalized suicide, Dr. Das believes the solution lies not in more legislation, but in a fundamental shift in human connection. 

“When you are feeling depressed, you really don’t bother… whether you go to jail or not. You only think about the pain,” he states. What is needed are “more people of loving nature” and less of the dismissive “chal bahar chalte hain” (let’s go out, you’ll feel better) attitude. 

The crisis in India’s law schools is a microcosm of a larger societal issue. By confronting it with honesty, empathy, and systemic change, we can transform these institutions from pressure cookers of performance into nurturing grounds for well-rounded, resilient legal professionals. The future of the legal profession depends not just on the sharpness of its minds, but on the wellness of its hearts.