UGC Asks Universities to Boost Student Mental Health Services

• UGC directs universities to enhance mental health support, counselling, and well-being services for students.
• Institutions must establish dedicated centres, helplines, and trained professionals to address psychological challenges promptly.
• Universities are encouraged to promote awareness, peer support, and a supportive culture prioritizing student mental health.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a directive urging universities and higher educational institutions across the country to significantly strengthen mental health support systems for students.

The move comes in response to rising concerns over stress, anxiety, and other psychological challenges faced by students in academic environments.

The guidelines require institutions to transform their approach toward student well-being by implementing comprehensive mental health programs which should be integrated into daily campus operations instead of being treated as secondary issues.

The new framework requires universities to establish Mental Health and Well-Being Centres which must provide counselling services and early mental health issue detection and emergency psychological treatment.

The institutions should develop awareness programs which will help students understand mental health issues while establishing peer support programs and maintaining access to trained mental health professionals on campus.

The guidelines recommend maintaining appropriate counsellor-to-student ratios and setting up 24/7 helplines to assist students in distress.

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The UGC assessment shows that universities need to develop proper infrastructure together with establishing an environment that supports their campus community.

The universities must include mental health education in their academic programs while promoting physical fitness and social activities and creating solutions to handle harassment and discrimination and academic pressure.

The university requires faculty members and staff to complete training programs which will help them better recognize and assist students who experience emotional and psychological difficulties.

The directive establishes procedures which allow both monitoring activities and accountability processes to be conducted. The institutions must monitor their mental health initiatives because they need to create reports and execute their digital assessment procedures to evaluate results while developing their support systems throughout time.

The UGC creates safer educational environments through its national initiative Manodarpan which works toward developing more inclusive educational spaces.

The initiative establishes a major milestone to advance mental health care research within India's higher education system by providing essential support for student academic achievement and personal development.