Mental health centres must in all higher education institutes: UGC

THe University Grants charge (UGC) on midweek issued outline guidelines that require all higher educational institutions (HEIs) to launch a dedicated “mental wellness and well-being centre” and a “mental health and well-being monitoring committee”. The rules make institutional mental health support compulsory across campuses. HEIs must also appoint one mental health professional for every 100 students and operate a 24x7 helpline for student grievances and psychosocial concerns, linked to established national mental health helplines.The guidelines, prepared following the Supreme Court judgement in Sukdeb Saha versus State of Andhra Pradesh (2025), form the ‘Uniform Policy on Mental Health and Well-Being for Higher Educational Institutions’. They aim to create a uniform, enforceable framework for student mental health. The court directed the Centre to frame a national policy after highlighting rising student suicides and institutional failures to provide timely support.The UGC has released the draft for public consultation, inviting stakeholder feedback by January 29, 2026.A key provision requires “1 qualified clinical psychologist/ psychologist/ mental health professional for any educational institution where 100 or more students are enrolled”. This addresses long-standing gaps in mental health care access in universities and colleges.“Higher education must prepare our young students not only for careers, but for life. The well-being and mental health of students, faculty and staff are fundamental to teaching, learning and institutional excellence,” UGC chairperson Vineet Joshi writes in the foreword. He adds that the UGC guidelines on mental health “will set out a practical, actionable framework to mainstream mental health and well-being into the everyday functioning of HEIs across India.”Every HEI must establish a ‘mental health and well-being centre’ as the “institution’s primary hub that provides mental health support and guidance, psychological services, crisis support and awareness programmes”. These centres will deliver counselling, early screening, crisis intervention and referral services, while upholding privacy and confidentiality. The ‘mental health and well-being monitoring committee’ will oversee implementation, ensure ethical practices and report anonymised data to the UGC. Institutions must display contact details for mental health professionals and helplines prominently across campuses and hostels. Both the centre and committee require staffing with psychologists and mental health professionals. HEIs must also implement suicide prevention infrastructure, crisis response protocols and post-crisis reintegration plans.“In essence, the guidelines aim to shift universities from a reactive stance to a proactive, preventive, and participatory mental health approach,” the draft states.The norms call for awareness programmes, peer-support systems, faculty gatekeeper training, mindfulness sessions and parent sensitisation initiatives to build a “sustainable and inclusive mental health and well-being ecosystem”.The UGC will monitor compliance via a dedicated digital portal and annual reports from institutions.