On May 4, 2025, two NEET aspirants in Hyderabad died by suicide due to extreme fear of clearing the National Medical Exam, which occurred on the same day. Both students studied hard for these exams and took coaching classes as well. Yet their numbers couldn’t reach the required rank. This entire event not only shows a failure of a student, but also failure of the society to prioritize mental health of students facing academic stress. And so it became a triggering debate across the nation and soon came under the notice of the Supreme Court.
Today, mental health support in colleges is not just a choice; it’s a need for millions of students appearing for cutthroat exams, to reduce academic stress, and promote student counselling at the ground level. To fill this gap, the court has ordered UGC (University Grant Commission), which plays a crucial role in ensuring quality education and higher education standards in colleges, to issue mental health guidelines for all. Let’s understand these UGC mental health guidelines in detail.
UGC Mental Health Guidelines: Key Takeaways
UGC’s latest guidelines are a detailed framework which are created for the emotional and mental wellbeing of students in higher education institutions such as universities and colleges. These guidelines are designed to be followed crucially by institutions to prevent increasing suicide rates, increasing academic stress, or any other mental health concern a student might be facing in an institution.
It asks for a creation of an inclusive, integrative, and non-discriminatory for all students, especially for those from lower economic background. Here are some essential things you need to know in the latest UGC mental health guidelines :
- Placement of Qualified Counsellors In Institutions: Every higher education institution must appoint a full-time professional counsellor or a psychologist. This will ensure students’ mental health is checked regularly, not just in emergencies. The presence of a counsellor in colleges will be beneficial for the all-around growth and development of students, especially those who can’t afford private counselling sessions.
- Creating A Safe And Inclusive Environment For Students: UGC mental health guidelines mandate creating a safe learning environment for students, free from discrimination and any threat based on one’s caste, colour, religion, etc. This can be achieved through workshops, inclusive student clubs, and anti-ragging policies. Participation of every student in activities should be encouraged, irrespective of their background.
- Making Realistic Academic Targets: Academic stress, exam assignments are crucial parts of one’s learning, but they can be challenging to achieve due to shorter deadlines. UGC has clearly mentioned to avoid unrealistic targets so that students do not feel overwhelmed by assessments, exams, and project submissions.
- Giving Ultimate Mental Health: Institutions must provide ultimate mental health support to students through group counselling, workshops, seminars, psychometric evaluations, and continuous counselling in every semester. This will ensure their smooth academic journey and will understand their peer and professional problems.
- Physical Safety Measures: UGC have also mandated to restrict areas like rooftops, balconies for physical safety of students. Moreover, strict surveillance should be there in hostel and campuses to minimize any risk of self-harm.
- Faculty Sensitization: UGC mental health guidelines ask professors and educators to undergo training in counselling, mentorship, and the well-being of their students. They should build empathy and create an inclusive approach for all kinds of students.
- Early Detection And Intervention:
To decrease the increasing cases of suicide, it is mandated by the UGC to identify students facing any kind of academic stress or peer pressure. If such cases will be addressed in advance, it will be easy for counsellors and teachers to provide help and support at early stage only.
- Creation of Suicide Prevention Plan: A personalized suicide prevention plan should be created by every institution to address risk factors and ensure a structured plan in a crisis.
- Tie-Ups With Psychiatric Institutions: Colleges should have tie-ups and collaboration with Psychiatric institutions like AIIMS and NIMHANS for specialized counselling and workshops. And to acknowledge cases of students who need serious psychiatric help.
- Supervision of Institutional Heads: Principals and vice-chancellors should timely observe that these new UGC mental health guidelines are implemented in their institutions, and mental health support is prioritized for all. Their role is crucial in implementing these guidelines practically.
Final Words
Overall, the new UGC mental health guidelines are a necessary step for college students. Mental health advocates suggest that such government mental health initiatives are much needed for the safety and well-being of students, as the issue has gone unnoticed for a long time.
Although it’s an immediate law for all higher education institutions, critics are still worried that it will remain on paper and not be implemented at the ground level. At last, we hope institutions will take these guidelines seriously and place counsellors in institutions as early as possible.
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