Parliament Question: Mental health and well being of students

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2926 ANSWERED ON- 18/03/2026 Mental health and well being of students 2926 Shri P. P. Suneer: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the UGC has put in the public domain, a draft guidelines on Uniform policy on Mental Health and Well-Being for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) for stake holders feed back; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) whether it is a fact that the UGC draft offers guidance and training support, but has no earmarked grants or implementation timelines, placing the entire operational and financial burden on HEIs that most of the Universities and Colleges cannot afford due to their financial crunch; and (d) if so, the details and Government’s reaction thereto? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d): As per the information received from the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Commission in its 594th meeting, considered and approved the UGC guidelines on uniform policy on mental health and well-being for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). In order to ensure inclusivity and broad-based participation, the Commission also resolved to place these guidelines in the public domain to invite comments and suggestions from stakeholder including students, faculty members, administrators, and civil society representatives. Accordingly, the guidelines were circulated to all Universities and Institutions of National Importance on 13.01.2026 with the request to disseminate this information widely within HEIs; direct all colleges to circulate the guidelines among their students, faculty, and staff for getting suggestions; and encourage all stakeholders to go through the draft guidelines and send their comments/suggestions. The guidelines, inter-alia, provide for establishment of Mental Health & Well-being Centres (MHWBCs) and Monitoring Committees in HEIs; roles and responsibilities of UGC, HEIs, and mental health professionals; crisis management mechanisms including suicide prevention infrastructure, risk assessment, and post-crisis reintegration; suggested activities such as mindfulness sessions, awareness days, and faculty sensitization; and accountability measures through annual reporting to UGC via MANAS-SETU portal. These guidelines have been prepared pursuant to the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions in the matter of Sukdeb Saha versus State of Andhra Pradesh (2025) and are available at https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/0632835_Uniform-Policy-on-Mental-Health-and-Well-Being-for- HEI.pdf. *****