Media Conference with Mr. Lal Goel
-World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).
-WHO has been co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
-World Suicide Prevention Day is observed annually on September 10 to raise awareness regarding the subject of suicide and the actions that can be taken to prevent these tragedies on a global scale.
-In 2003, the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host the first ever World Suicide Prevention Day.
-According to the suicide data collection done by the WHO, close to 800,000 people die each year, due to suicide, boiling down to 1 death every 40 seconds and that is not taking into account the 20 million suicide attempts. -However, reducing these tragedies into statistics does not mean that there are set causes or stereotypes that can be applied to it.
-According to the data a total of 1,39,123 suicides were reported in India in 2019 — an increase of 3.4 per cent in comparison to 2018, which saw 1,34,516 suicides.
-Maharashtra topped the chart in the total number of suicides, while Karnataka was ahead of others in terms of suicides due to unemployment.
-This is the second time Karnataka registered the highest number of suicides in the country due to joblessness.
-Section 309 of IPC states: Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.
-Although section 309 is still in effect, the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (enacted July 2018) has restricted its application. The relevant provision of the new act states:
-Notwithstanding anything contained in section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under the said Code.
-Section 306 of IPC Abetment of suicide.—If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
