Helplines, Counsellors: MHRD’s Mental Health Campaign for Students

Under Manodarpan, MHRD has made mental health a compulsory component of teacher training courses.

Image used for representation.

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

A dedicated website, a national toll-free helpline, a database of counsellors and a holistic report card are among the many components of Manodarpan, a mental health initiative launched by the Human Resource Development Ministry to promote all-round well-being of students and equip them to stress during the coronavirus pandemic.

Manodarpan, which refers to the process of delving into one’s mind and thought, is the outcome of suggestions provided by a task-force, which was constituted by the ministry following a barrage of messages from children, parents and teachers expressing concern on the mental toll of children during the coronavirus pandemic.

What are the different components of Manodarpan?

• Web Page: Aiming to target students in schools higher education and the teaching community, the website will carry advisory, practical tips, posters, videos dos and don’ts, FAQs and online query system for psychological support.
• Advisory Guidelines: To help students and teachers identify ares of concern in COVID-19 times and give quick tips for dealing with them.
• National toll-free helpline: Students can call on 8448440632 and receive telephonic counselling. The helpline will be operated by around 500 experienced counsellors, psychologists and other mental health professionals, who have been enrolled for this service.
• Skill Handbook: To train students in different skill-sets required to cope with and succeed in facing challenges in real life, especially in COVID-19 times.
• Interactive online chat platform: Through this, students can contact counsellors, psychologists and other mental health professionals. An interactive chat bot will also be developed to deal with student queries.

Under the programme, schools have been asked to focus on prevention by creating a safe and calm environment where mental health problems are less likely. This will include teaching students about mental well-being and reinforcing it through school activities.

The programme also provides for early detection of mental health issues among children, by making mental health an integral part of health and physical education and by making these components compulsory for teacher education courses.

In addition, as part of the National Education Policy, report cards of students will be completely redesigned and will be made holistic to reflect the “uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, socio-emotional and psychomotor domains”.