Gandhinagar, Nov 2 — All secondary and higher secondary schools in Gujarat will have to set up dedicated teams to monitor students' mental health and prevent suicides under new regulations introduced by the state government, with schools having 100 or more students required to appoint at least one qualified counsellor.
The provisions, which will apply to students of Classes 9 to 12 in schools affiliated with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), seek to address growing concerns over academic pressure, examination-related anxiety, social media use, family expectations and other factors affecting students' mental well-being.
The Education Department has introduced Regulation 16(A) in the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Regulations, 1974, and incorporated detailed provisions in Appendix 8 covering mental health, student welfare and suicide prevention.
"The decision was taken under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Education Minister Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State for Education, Rivaba Jadeja," officials said.
It follows a Supreme Court judgment laying down 15 binding guidelines and four directives on students' mental health and suicide prevention in educational institutions.
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice had instructed states to implement the directions.
The state has also adopted the UMMEED guidelines developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as a reference framework.
UMMEED stands for Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower and Develop.
Under the new regulations, every school offering Classes 9 to 12 must constitute a School Wellness Team (SWT) at the beginning of each academic year.
The team will be responsible for identifying students experiencing mental distress, responding to suicide risks and ensuring timely access to support.
Its functioning will be reviewed annually. The school principal will lead the team, while the school counsellor or a designated teacher will serve as its coordinator.
It will also include one teacher each from the secondary and higher secondary sections, a School Management Committee representative, a non-teaching staff member and two student peer leaders, known as 'Mano-Mitra', with one each from Classes 9-10 and 11-12.
The Mano-Mitra initiative will establish a peer-support system within schools. These student representatives will provide initial emotional support to classmates, guide those requiring help towards appropriate assistance and encourage supportive relationships among students.
Schools with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health.
Institutions with fewer than 100 students will have to establish formal referral arrangements with external mental health professionals, nearby Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres, the District Mental Health Programme and Tele-MANAS services.
Special mentoring arrangements will also be required during critical transition periods, including board examinations, result announcements and students moving from Class 8 to 9 and Class 10 to 11.
Dedicated mentors or counsellors must be assigned to small groups during these periods.
The regulations prohibit schools from segregating students inside or outside classrooms on the basis of academic performance, examination results or marks.
Students must not be publicly humiliated, compared with their peers or stigmatised over their academic performance.
Schools will also be barred from practices that could create anxiety, fear, an inferiority complex or emotional insecurity. Instead, institutions will have to promote an environment based on equality, dignity, encouragement and cooperation.
They must regularly organise co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as yoga, meditation, art, music, gardening, dance and sports.
Initiatives including Khel Mahakumbh, Finishing School, Saptadhara, Pariksha Pe Charcha, NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, and community service have also been included as activities to support students' well-being.
Schools must ensure that students can approach counsellors or designated mentor teachers confidentially and without fear to discuss their concerns and emotional difficulties.
Help boxes or suggestion boxes must also be made available.
Official child helpline numbers and SWT contact details must be displayed prominently on school websites, notice boards, in classrooms, hostels and counselling rooms.
The framework makes mental health training mandatory for all teaching and non-teaching staff at least twice a year.
The training, to be conducted by certified mental health professionals, will cover psychological first aid, identification of warning signs, responses to self-harm and referral procedures.
Any indication of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, severe mental distress or other risky behaviour must be treated seriously and addressed immediately.
In the event of a suicide attempt or self-harm incident, the student must not be left alone, and appropriate medical or emergency assistance must be arranged without delay.
The regulations also require strict confidentiality of students' mental health information, counselling records and other sensitive personal details. Such information may be shared only with authorised persons directly involved in the student's safety, treatment, counselling or welfare.
In the event of a suicide, schools must arrange psychological, emotional and social support for other students, teachers, staff members and affected family members through a postvention process.
Communication about the incident must remain factual and responsible. Only the principal or an authorised officer may interact with the media, and details about the method, location, photographs or other sensitive personal information must not be disclosed.
Schools will also have to establish confidential and accessible grievance redressal mechanisms to address sexual harassment, ragging, bullying, cyberbullying and discrimination based on caste, class, gender, religion, language, socio-economic status or disability.
Complaints must be investigated in a timely and impartial manner.
The regulations provide for institutional accountability where a school fails to take timely and appropriate action despite being aware, or reasonably expected to be aware, of a risk situation, and that failure is found to have significantly contributed to serious harm, self-harm or a suicide involving a student.
Disciplinary or legal action may be initiated against the school or responsible officials under applicable laws and regulations.
To reduce academic and career-related pressure, schools will also be required to provide regular career guidance and information about different educational, vocational, skill-based and entrepreneurship opportunities.
A District-Level Monitoring Committee, led by the District Magistrate or District Collector, will oversee the implementation of the regulations.
It will review compliance across educational institutions, coordinate guidance, monitor complaints and serious incidents, and recommend corrective measures. All schools will be required to comply with the committee's directives.