Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 1 (ANI): In a major initiative to safeguard students' mental health and promote their overall well-being, the Gujarat Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has introduced new regulations making mental health support and suicide prevention mechanisms mandatory in secondary and higher secondary schools across the state.
The initiative aims to ensure that students' emotional well-being receives as much attention as their academic performance, particularly amid growing examination pressure, competition and other challenges affecting young people.
According to the Gujarat government, under the new provisions, all schools offering Classes 9 to 12 and affiliated with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) will have to establish institutional mechanisms to identify mental health concerns, provide counselling and prevent suicide.
Every school will be required to constitute a School Wellness Team (SWT), while institutions with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health.
The decision comes amid concerns that examination preparation, competition for high marks, excessive social media use, socio-economic circumstances, family expectations and uncertainty about the future are contributing to stress, anxiety, low self-confidence and depression among students.
Taking a student-centric approach to address these challenges, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has guided the Education Department to introduce comprehensive measures for students' mental health and emotional security.
Under his leadership and the guidance of Education Minister Dr Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State for Education Rivabaa Jadeja, the department has incorporated Regulation 16(A) into the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Regulations, 1974. Detailed provisions have also been included in Appendix 8.
The regulations will apply to students of Classes 9 and 10 in secondary schools and Classes 11 and 12 in higher secondary schools affiliated with the state board. The framework has been developed in accordance with 15 binding guidelines and four directives issued by the Supreme Court in a judgment concerning student mental health and suicide prevention in educational institutions.
It also draws upon the UMMEED guidelines developed by NCERT, which stand for Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower and Develop.
Under Regulation 16(A), safeguarding students' mental health is recognised as an essential component of their holistic development. Schools will be required to conduct regular counselling sessions, awareness programmes and timely interventions to create a safe, supportive and stress-free learning environment.
A key feature of the new framework is the mandatory establishment of a School Wellness Team in every school offering Classes 9 to 12.
The team will be responsible for monitoring students' emotional well-being, identifying warning signs of mental distress and responding promptly to potential suicide risks and other emergencies. The school principal will lead the team, while the school counsellor or a designated teacher will serve as its coordinator.
It will also include one teacher each from the secondary and higher secondary sections, a School Management Committee representative, one student peer leader known as 'Mano-Mitra' from each section and one non-teaching staff member. The team must be constituted at the beginning of every academic year, with its functioning reviewed annually.
The introduction of 'Mano-Mitra' is another important component of the initiative. Based on the NCERT UMMEED framework, these student peer leaders will help create a supportive atmosphere among classmates.
They will provide initial emotional support, encourage students facing difficulties to seek appropriate assistance and help connect them with teachers, counsellors and other support services.
The regulations also make professional counselling arrangements compulsory. Schools with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker with specialised training in child and adolescent mental health. Institutions with fewer than 100 students must establish formal referral arrangements with external mental health professionals, nearby Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres, the District Mental Health Programme and Tele-MANAS services.
Special attention will be given to students during vulnerable academic transition periods, particularly board examinations, result announcements and transitions from Class 8 to Class 9 and Class 10 to Class 11. Dedicated mentors or counsellors must be assigned to small groups of students during these periods to help them manage academic pressure and emotional challenges.
The new regulations place particular emphasis on eliminating discrimination and humiliation based on academic performance. Schools will not be permitted to segregate students inside or outside classrooms according to examination marks or academic results. Public humiliation, unfavourable comparisons and stigmatisation of students over their performance will also be prohibited. School administrations must ensure an atmosphere based on equality, dignity, encouragement and cooperation.
To promote emotional well-being, schools will be required to regularly organise activities such as yoga, meditation, art, music, gardening, dance and sports. Existing initiatives, including Khel Mahakumbh, Finishing School, Saptadhara, Pariksha Pe Charcha, NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, and community service activities, will also contribute to students' overall development.
Students must have easy and confidential access to counsellors or designated mentor teachers to express their concerns and emotional difficulties without fear. Schools will also be required to provide help boxes or suggestion boxes for students to communicate their problems. Official child helpline numbers and contact details of School Wellness Teams must be prominently displayed on school websites, notice boards, classrooms, hostels and counselling rooms.
Capacity building and emergency response will form an integral part of the implementation process. All teaching and non-teaching staff members must undergo training conducted by certified mental health professionals at least twice a year. Schools must establish systems for psychological first aid, early identification of warning signs, responding to self-harm and referring students to appropriate support services.
Any indication of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, severe mental distress or other risky behaviour must be treated with utmost seriousness and addressed immediately. In the event of a suicide attempt or self-harm incident, the student must never be left alone, and appropriate medical or emergency assistance must be arranged without delay.
The regulations also mandate strict confidentiality regarding students' mental health information, counselling records and sensitive personal details. Such information may be shared only with authorised individuals directly involved in the student's safety, treatment, counselling or welfare, statement added.
In the unfortunate event of a suicide, schools must arrange psychological, emotional and social support for other students, teachers, staff members and affected family members through an appropriate postvention process. Communication about such incidents must remain factual and responsible, with media interactions handled only by the school principal or an authorised officer.
The framework further provides for a confidential and accessible grievance redressal mechanism to address sexual harassment, ragging, bullying, cyberbullying and discrimination based on caste, class, gender, religion, language, socio-economic status or disability.
Schools must ensure timely and impartial investigations into complaints. Institutional accountability provisions have also been introduced for situations where a school's failure to take appropriate action despite being aware, or reasonably expected to be aware, of a serious risk is found to have significantly contributed to harm or a suicide incident. Disciplinary or legal action may be initiated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
To reduce academic and career-related anxiety, schools will also be required to provide regular career guidance, informing students about diverse educational, vocational, skill-development and entrepreneurship opportunities.
For effective implementation, a District-Level Monitoring Committee chaired by the District Magistrate or District Collector will oversee compliance with the new provisions. The committee will review implementation across educational institutions, coordinate necessary interventions, monitor complaints and serious incidents, and recommend corrective measures. Compliance with its directives will be mandatory for all schools. (ANI)
Gujarat govt introduces mandatory mental health, suicide prevention measures for Classes 9 to 12
