UP to deploy counsellors in higher education institutes

Prayagraj: In a major push to tackle rising stress and mental health concerns among students, Uttar Pradesh govt is set to introduce a dedicated counselling system across all higher education institutions in the state. Under the state's mental health policy, one counsellor will be appointed for every 100 students, backed by a budgetary allocation of Rs 34 crore.In the first phase, the initiative will be implemented in 216 govt colleges and 330 aided colleges across the state. Later, the facility will be extended to unaided institutions as well. Counsellors will be appointed at a fixed honorarium to ensure students get timely access to professional psychological support. The move followed compliance with the Supreme Court order in the case of Sukdev Saha vs State of Andhra Pradesh (2025), which directed institutions to ensure the availability of certified counsellors, psychologists, or external experts for students. Acting on the directive, the directorate of higher education began preparations to implement the system. Higher education director BL Sharma said: "The policy aims to safeguard and promote students' mental wellbeing while ensuring a dignified and supportive academic environment. The goal is to enable students to grow in a safe, inclusive and stress-free atmosphere, helping them become confident, self-reliant and positive individuals. The system will also provide confidential channels for reporting issues like harassment, discrimination, ragging, sexual violence and insensitive behaviour within campuses." He said the policy also emphasises awareness programmes for parents, including mental health literacy and life-skills education, so that families can better understand emotional distress and avoid placing undue pressure on students. Co-curricular activities, career counselling and personality development programmes will also be strengthened to build confidence and resilience among students. Institutions will be required to prominently display written protocols for emergency mental health services, hospital referrals and suicide-prevention helplines such as Tele-MANAS, in classrooms, hostels, other campus spaces and on institutional websites. The policy also mandates at least two mental health training sessions annually for teaching and non-teaching staff, covering psychological first aid and identification of early warning signs of distress. In addition, colleges and hostels will adopt safety measures like monitoring harassment and drug abuse, installing tamper-proof fans and restricting unsafe access to rooftops or balconies. Special attention will be given to students from SC, ST, OBC, divyang and other vulnerable groups, ensuring non-discriminatory campuses and the effective functioning of internal complaints committees and anti-ragging cells. Senior mental wellness coach Subroto Biswas said: "Unfortunately in India there is low awareness about mental health hygiene, and that resulted in the country being ranked as no. 1 in suicide rate among the youth (15-30 years age group). By combining academic excellence with emotional support, govt's initiative seeks to nurture not only successful students but also healthy, confident and resilient individuals prepared to face the challenges of modern life."