Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has introduced a comprehensive framework to strengthen mental health support and suicide prevention in schools, making dedicated student-welfare mechanisms mandatory for institutions offering Classes 9 to 12.
Under the new provisions, schools affiliated with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) will have to establish School Wellness Teams, appoint student peer supporters known as ‘Mano-Mitra’ and ensure access to qualified mental health professionals.
The decision, taken under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel‘s leadership, seeks to give students’ emotional well-being greater institutional attention alongside academic performance.
The Education Department has incorporated Regulation 16(A) into the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Regulations, 1974, with detailed provisions included in Appendix 8.
The framework draws on the Supreme Court’s directions on student mental health and suicide prevention, as well as the NCERT’s UMMEED guidelines.
Every School to Establish a School Wellness Team
Under the new regulation, every GSHSEB-affiliated 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 supporting students’ emotional well-being, identifying signs of psychological distress and coordinating timely responses to potential suicide risks and other emergencies.
Read Also: Gujarat Approves 15-Day Diwali Parole for 143 Prisoners, Including 103 Senior Citizens and 40 Women
The School Wellness Team will comprise:
- School Principal: Team Leader.
- School Counsellor or Designated Teacher: Team Coordinator.
- Teachers: One representative each from the secondary section (Classes 9–10) and higher secondary section (Classes 11–12).
- School Management Committee: One representative.
- Mano-Mitra: One student peer leader each from the secondary and higher secondary sections.
- Non-teaching staff: One representative.
All members will receive appropriate orientation and training. The team must be constituted every academic year, and its functioning will be reviewed annually.
‘Mano-Mitra’ to Provide Peer-Level Emotional Support
The new framework introduces a student peer-support mechanism through the appointment of Mano-Mitra representatives.
Based on the NCERT’s UMMEED framework, these student representatives will provide initial emotional support to classmates and help connect students who need further assistance with teachers, counsellors or appropriate support services.
Their responsibilities will include:
- Offering initial emotional support to fellow students.
- Guiding students experiencing difficulties towards appropriate assistance.
- Encouraging mutual understanding and cooperation among classmates.
- Helping create a supportive and sensitive school environment.
The initiative is intended to make it easier for students to seek help and discuss their concerns within their school community.
Counsellors Mandatory in Schools with 100 or More Students
The regulations make professional mental health support a compulsory requirement for schools with 100 or more enrolled students.
Such institutions must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker with training in child and adolescent mental health.
Schools with fewer than 100 students will have to establish formal referral arrangements with:
- External mental health professionals.
- Nearby Community Health Centres (CHCs).
- Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
- The District Mental Health Programme.
- Tele-MANAS services.
Additional mentoring and counselling support must also be arranged during periods when students may face heightened academic pressure, including:
- Board examination periods.
- Announcement of examination results.
- Transition from Class 8 to Class 9.
- Transition from Class 10 to Class 11.
Dedicated mentors or counsellors will be assigned to smaller groups of students during these periods.
Schools Cannot Separate or Humiliate Students Based on Marks
A major feature of the new framework is its emphasis on preventing academic performance from becoming a source of discrimination or emotional distress.
Schools will not be permitted to segregate students inside or outside classrooms based on examination results or marks obtained.
The regulations also prohibit practices such as:
- Publicly humiliating students over poor academic performance.
- Comparing students in ways that cause emotional distress.
- Stigmatising students because of their marks or examination results.
- Introducing practices that create fear, anxiety, inferiority or emotional insecurity.
Instead, schools are expected to promote an environment based on equality, dignity, encouragement and cooperation.
They must also organise activities that support students’ overall well-being, including:
- Yoga and meditation.
- Art, music and dance.
- Gardening and sports.
- Community service and other co-curricular activities.
Existing initiatives such as Khel Mahakumbh, Saptadhara, NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, Finishing School and Pariksha Pe Charcha have also been identified as activities that can contribute to students’ development and well-being.
Twice-Yearly Mental Health Training for School Staff
The new provisions require all teaching and non-teaching staff members to undergo training by certified mental health professionals at least twice a year.
Schools must establish procedures for psychological first aid, recognising warning signs of mental distress, responding to self-harm incidents and referring students to appropriate professional services.
Any indication of self-harm, suicidal thoughts or severe psychological distress must be addressed immediately.
In the event of a suicide attempt or self-harm incident, the student must not be left alone. Schools must arrange appropriate medical or emergency assistance without delay.
The framework also requires strict confidentiality of students’ mental health information and counselling records. Such information may be shared only with authorised persons directly involved in the student’s safety, treatment or welfare.
Grievance Redressal and School Accountability
Schools will also have to establish confidential and accessible grievance redressal mechanisms to address complaints involving:
- Bullying and cyberbullying.
- Ragging.
- Sexual harassment.
- Caste-based discrimination.
- Discrimination based on gender, religion or language.
- Harassment linked to socio-economic background or disability.
Complaints must be investigated in a timely and impartial manner.
The regulations also introduce provisions for institutional accountability. If a school fails to take 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 student’s suicide, it may be treated as institutional culpability.
Disciplinary or legal action may follow against the school or responsible officials under applicable laws and regulations.
Schools must also provide regular career guidance, informing students about educational, vocational, skill-based and entrepreneurship opportunities to help them explore options beyond conventional academic pathways.
District-Level Committee to Monitor Implementation
A District-Level Monitoring Committee, headed by the District Magistrate or District Collector, will oversee the implementation of the new provisions.
Its responsibilities will include:
- Reviewing compliance across educational institutions.
- Providing guidance and coordination to schools.
- Monitoring complaints and serious incidents.
- Recommending corrective measures and improvements.
Schools will be required to comply with the committee’s directives.
Supreme Court Guidelines and NCERT’s UMMEED Framework
The Gujarat government has based the new provisions on the Supreme Court’s guidelines and directions concerning student mental health and suicide prevention.
The framework also draws on NCERT’s UMMEED guidelines, an acronym for Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower and Develop.
By incorporating these principles into the state’s school regulations, Gujarat has established a formal structure for mental health support, early identification of distress, professional counselling and institutional accountability in secondary and higher secondary education.
Read Also: Gujarat Expands CM Fellowship: 47 Young Professionals to Work on 45 Governance Projects
