Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan held a high-level review meeting today to discuss the mental health of students in Indian schools and higher education institutions.
Pradhan addressed several issues, including gender equality, caste sensitivity, easing academic pressure, and a strong counselling system, among others. He has directed that an effective grievance redressal system be established.
As directed by Pradhan, the Ministry is developing a comprehensive framework of operational guidelines that will cover everything from elementary school to higher education institutions (HEIs). “The Framework will institutionalize safeguards and mechanisms that can ensure comprehensive protection to students from any threat or assault-physical, social, discriminatory, cultural, and linguistic; causing psychological distress among students, leading to self-harming/self-destructive tendencies,” according to the official press release.
It will also emphasize the creation of an inclusive, integrative, and non-discriminatory environment; sensitization and capacity-building programs for faculty members; orientation, counselling, and hand-holding mechanisms; early detection mechanisms for immediate intervention; promoting close-knit student faculty interactive communities; incorporating team activities into curricular exercises; an effective and speedy grievance redress mechanism; physical fitness provisions; and physical fitness provisions.
The Ministry of Education has taken various steps to alleviate academic stress from time to time. Peer-assisted learning, technical education in 13 regional languages, entrance examinations in 13 languages, the Manodarpan initiative to provide psychological support to students, guidelines for the prevention, detection, and treatment of mental health issues, and so on are examples.
Academic life is a critical period for students’ psychological and behavioural changes, involving complex patterns of social interactions, relationships, and career trajectories. The issues that may affect the mental health of the students are varied and cover a wide spectrum ranging from academic pressure, peer pressure, intensely competitive educational environment, behavioural issues, performance issues, stress, career concerns, depression etc.
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