Lok Sabha Question No. 3819 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Mental Health Counsellors in Government Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3819 ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## Mental Health Counsellors in Government Schools

## 3819. Shri K C Venugopal:

Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any data on the number of Government schools across  the  country  having  qualified  mental  health  counsellors  to  address  the alarming  rise  in  stress,  anxiety  and  suicides  among  students  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has issued any specific guidelines to appoint mental health counsellors in all the schools of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the mechanisms put in place for monitoring their recruitment and effectiveness in improving the student well-being; and
- (d) whether the Government has any plans to set aside budgetary  allocation and timeline  for  ensuring  that  every  Government  school  is  equipped  with  such support services?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): Education is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and the majority  of  schools  are  under  the  administrative  control  of  the  respective  State Government/UT administration.  However,  recognising  the  importance  of  education, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has come into existence, which emphasises the need  to create  awareness  about  the  mental  health  issues,  reducing  stress  and promoting  joyful  learning.  States  and  UTs  are  supported  under  Samagra  Shiksha based  on  their  proposals  towards  strengthening  of  existing  Government  schools  for creation  &  augmentation  of  infrastructure  facilities  and  also  other  activities  such  as career guidance, mental health, self-defence etc. Though it is not mandatory to keep counsellors,  States/UTs  and  all  management  schools,  including  private  schools,  are encouraged to provide this facility as per the requirement. States/UTs are free to have their  own  guidelines  for  recruitments  and  also  use  Samagra  Shiksha  funds  or  their own funds.

National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  takes  a  holistic  view  about  the nourishment  of  children  and  their  mental  wellbeing  which  is  required  for  optimal learning. NEP suggests multifarious ways to achieve the same. For the nourishment of the  children,  PM  POSHAN  Scheme  is  being  implemented  under  which  hot  cooked meals are provided to the students studying in Balvatika and classes I to VIII in the Government and Government-aided schools. About 11.20 crore students studying in 10.36 lakh schools have been benefitting under the scheme. During 2023-24, health check-up of about 10.83 crore students has been carried out by States and UTs under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). About 10.11 crore students received Iron  &  Folic  Acid  (IFA)  supplementation  under  Anaemia  Mukta  Bharat  and  about 10.69 crore students received deworming medicines under National Deworming Day (NDD) during 2023-24. IFA and de-worming tablets helps in ensuring better health and good learning outcomes.

As  per  the  perspective  of  NEP  2020,  NCERT  has  developed  and  launched National  Curriculum  Framework  for  the  Foundational  Stage  (NCF-FS)  2022  and National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCF-SE)  2023.  Both  the NCFs integrate the mental well-being of students in different aspects such as syllabi development, development of content in learning and teaching material, pedagogical practices  etc.  The  framework  also  lays  emphasis  on  the  role  of  all  stakeholders, teachers, school functionaries, parents and community members to ensure that every student is provided with mental and emotional support. The framework also stresses the importance of socio-emotional stimulation in the early years of life of students and provides guidelines towards integration of age-appropriate aspects of socio-emotional development in its curricular goals, core competencies and learning outcomes.

For  mental  health  and  wellbeing,  the  Government  has  launched  an  initiative, Manodarpan, under 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan' on 21st July, 2020, with the aim to provide psychosocial support to students, their families and teachers across the country, ensuring their mental health and well-being. A National toll-free tele-helpline (844-844-0632) for reaching out to students from  schools,  colleges  and  universities across the country seeking support on mental health concerns and other psychosocial issues. The services offered on the helpline are free of cost. Manodarpan also provides Directory  of  Counsellors  working  at  both  school  and  college/university  level  on (https://manodarpan.education.gov.in) as a resource for students. There are 64 counsellors presently working in Tele-Helpline. Also, live interactive sessions called as  'Sahyog'  are  organised  for  students  on  PM  eVidya  channels,  with  practicing counsellors and are held from Monday to Friday (from 05:00 pm - 05:30 pm) across different regions. These sessions can be viewed on PM eVidya Channels and 'NCERT Official' YouTube Channels (https://www.youtube.com/@NCERTOFFICIAL/streams). The total 'Sahyog' sessions held so far are 1027. 206 live interactive webinars named 'Paricharcha' are organised  every  Friday  (from  2:30  pm  -  4:00  pm).  These  sessions  address  various mental  health  and  emotional  well-being  concerns  of  students,  parents  and  teachers. Several conferences, orientations and sessions have been held for school administrators and teachers to sensitise and orient them on factors causing stress and anxiety  among  students  including  critical  aspects  such  as  examinations,  academics, results and other emotionally challenging situations and build their understanding and enabling them towards managing these situations.

Manodarpan  has  developed  and  disseminated various materials to raise awareness and advocacy for mental health in schools through flyers such as bullying, self-awareness,  coping  skills  and  positive  emotions  and  a  desk  calendar  etc.  every year. Awareness programs and capacity building of stakeholders in schools are some of  the  regular  activities  under  the  initiative.  Manodarpan  facilitates  celebration  of Mental Health Day and Mental Health Week every year across the country in schools since  2020.  This  celebration  includes  various  activities,  such  as  group  discussion, storytelling,  outdoor  activities,  relaxation  activities,  creation  of  an  individual  wellbeing  plan,  sharing  of  gratitude  note,  creation  of  a  positivity  board,  interactive awareness session, assembly on mental health etc. in schools.

Several capacity building/ awareness programs are conducted with stakeholders such as  school  administrators,  heads  of  schools,  teachers,  teacher  counsellors  etc.  Some such  programs  comprise  consultative  meets  at  regional  level,  capacity  building programme  for  teachers  of  from  different  States/UTs.  In  these  training  programs, various  mental  health  and  well-being  concerns  such  as  self-harm,  substance  abuse, bullying, etc. which have a direct link with feelings of stress, anxiety and depression among young people are dealt with. These capacity building programs aim to build awareness and skills among teachers to help young people deal with these concerns.

Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  conceptualised  a  unique  interactive  programme  Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) wherein students, parents, teachers across the nation and also from overseas interact with him to discuss and overcome the stress, emerging out of  examinations  in  order  to  celebrate  life  as  an  Utsav.   In  PPC  programme  2025, maximum participation has been ensured from students across diverse socio-economic backgrounds, especially those from rural and remote areas through a combination of outreach efforts by coordinating at all levels with the State and Centre Government. Extensive activities related to PPC, such as reduction in exam stress through activities encouraging physical and emotional well-being, were carried out throughout Bharat, over a period of 10 days from 13 th  January -  23 rd January, 2025.  On 23 rd January, 2025,  coinciding  with  the  Birth  Anniversary  of  Netaji  Subhas  Chandra  Bose,  in almost all Districts across the country, viewing of the series 'Bharat Hain Hum'  - a motivational  and  inspirational  series  on  several  freedom  fighters  was  shown  to students and quiz on the same was held.  All of these activities resulted in the total participation  of  over  5  crore  in  the  8 th edition  of  PPC  2025.  Mental  health  and  its related issues including emotional well-being was one of the major topics covered by Hon'ble PM during the recently held PPC which was disseminated on electronic and digital platforms across the country.  It may be stated that apart from the session of Hon'ble PM, two separate sessions were held on mental health and overcoming them from experts in two of the 7 other episodes that followed in PPC.

In  addition  to  address  the  rise  in  stress,  anxiety  etc  among  students'  various initiatives  are  taken  by  many  schools  -  like  sensitization  through  talks  in  morning assembly,  adolescence  education  programmes,  yoga,  games  and  sports,  scouts  and guides,  NCC,  Ek  Bharat  Shreshth  Bharat.  Students  are  also  involved  in  setting  up School Nutrition Gardens (SNGs) in the school through which they are connected to nature.

Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  has  launched  Tele  Mental  Health Assistance  and  Networking  Across  States  (Tele  MANAS)  a  toll-free  mental  health helpline  that  provides  support  and  assistance  to  those  struggling  with  mental  health issues. Through  this  initiative, access to trained and  accredited mental  health counsellors is available 24X7 across the country on the helpline number (14416) or 1800-891-4416, to cater mental health. This service is available in 20 languages. The National Tele Mental Health Programme (Tele-MANAS), launched in October 2022, provides tele-counselling services across 36 States/UTs, handling nearly 20 lakh calls. The government is also training healthcare professionals via Digital Academies at key mental health institutes, having trained over 42,000 professionals.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is also addressing mental health issues through  the  National  Mental  Health  Programme  (NMHP),  with  its  District  Mental Health  Programme  (DMHP)  active  in  767  districts.  DMHP  offers  services  like outpatient  care,  counselling,  medication,  outreach,  and  inpatient  facilities  at  the district level. to provide suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counselling in schools and colleges. Additionally, the government has upgraded over 1.75 lakh primary healthcare centers into Ayushman Arogya  Mandirs,  integrating  mental  health  services  into  primary  care.  Under  the Ayushman  Bharat  School  Health  &  Wellness  Programme,  teachers  are  trained  to promote emotional wellbeing among students.

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