The Supreme Court has issued 15 guidelines to address mental health issues among students in educational institutions. The guidelines emphasize the importance of mental health as a right to life and suggest steps to improve mental health, including increased funding, resource allocation, primary healthcare integration, mass awareness campaigns, professional training, technology, and early intervention.
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Picture Courtesy: TIMES OF INDIA
The Supreme Court issued 15 guidelines to address rising suicide, safety concerns, and mental health issues among students in educational institutions.
Mental health is about emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects every action including thinking, feeling.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.
Human Capital & Productivity => When people are mentally healthy, they can work better, learn more effectively, and contribute positively to society, which improves the country's overall "human capital".
Social Cohesion => Good mental health helps people connect with each other, build strong relationships, and participate in their communities, which strengthens social bonds and helps society function smoothly.
High Prevalence => The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16 by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) found that 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders.
Treatment Gap => According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, India has 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, whereas WHO recommends at least 3 per 100,000.
Deep-rooted Stigma & Discrimination => Many people still feel ashamed or afraid to seek help, fearing judgment or discrimination from society. Lack of awareness about mental health conditions makes this problem worse.
Inadequate Funding => The budget for mental health is usually around 1% of the total health budget, which makes it hard to expand services, train more professionals, or run awareness campaigns.
National Mental Health Program (NMHP, 1982) => Provide mental health care at the community level, integrate mental health with general health services, and train more professionals.
Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017 => Protects the rights of people with mental illness.
Tele-MANAS (2022) => Digital initiative launched to provide mental health support through phone calls, to make mental health care more accessible, especially in remote areas.
Manodarpan Initiative => Focuses on providing psychological support and counseling to students, teachers, and families to help them cope with stress and emotional difficulties related to education and life.
What are the recent Supreme Court's guidelines to improve mental health?
In the case Sukdeb Saha vs State of Andhra Pradesh and others, the Supreme Court stated that mental health is an integral component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, and issued 15 guidelines for all types of educational institutions, from schools to coaching centers.
Mental Health Policy => Every school and college must create and follow a mental health policy
Counsellors & Support => Institutions with 100 or more students must hire at least one trained counsellor, psychologist, or social worker who understands child and adolescent mental health.
No Negative Practices => Coaching centers and other educational institutions should not separate students into "batches" based on their academic performance, publicly shame them, or set academic goals that are too high or unrealistic for their abilities.
Emergency Referrals & Helplines => All institutions must have clear rules for immediately sending students to mental health services, hospitals, or suicide prevention helplines (like Tele-MANAS).
Safety Measures in Residential Institutions => Hostels and other residential institutions must install "tamper-proof" ceiling fans or similar safety devices.
Staff Training => All teachers and non-teaching staff must get mandatory training twice a year from certified mental health professionals.
Grievance Redressal => Institutions must create strong, confidential, and easy-to-use systems to report and handle cases of sexual assault, harassment, ragging (bullying), and other complaints.
Scope of Guidelines => These rules apply to ALL educational institutions across India, including public and private schools, colleges, universities, training centers, coaching institutes, residential academies, and hostels.
Record Keeping & Reporting => All institutions must keep anonymous records and prepare an annual report detailing their mental wellness programs, student referrals, training sessions, and other mental health activities. They must submit this report to the relevant government body (e.g., State Education Department, UGC).
Career Counselling => Schools and colleges must provide regular, structured career counselling sessions for students and their parents.
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What are UMMEED and National Suicide Prevention Strategy?
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Increased Funding & Resource Allocation
Strengthening Primary Healthcare Integration
Mass Awareness & Anti-Stigma Campaigns
Training More Professionals & Paraprofessionals
Leveraging Technology (Tele-medicine)
Early Intervention & School-based Programs
Must Read Articles:
All About Mental Health in India
Source: TIMES OF INDIA
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Student suicides in India are a systemic failure rather than individual tragedies. Critically analyze. 150 words |
It grants every person the right to access mental healthcare, decriminalizes suicide attempts, and protects against discrimination based on mental illness.
Tele-MANAS is a 24/7 free tele-counseling mental health helpline launched by the Indian government to expand access to care, especially post-pandemic.
DMHP aims to provide basic mental healthcare services at the district level by training general health workers and integrating mental health into primary care.
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