Mobile, social media breaking family bonds: Punjab Governor

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has cautioned that excessive use of mobile phone and social media is creating isolation within families and leaving children increasingly ignored. Mental health challenges among young students are rising, he added.

Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Project Saathi’, a holistic wellness initiative for school students, in Chandigarh today, Kataria said Indian families traditionally acted as the strongest emotional safety net, bringing members together during festivals and daily life. “Today, mobile phones and social media have created distance even within families. Children are getting ignored, and this isolation is deeply affecting their mental and emotional well-being,” he said.

The project, a joint initiative of the Department of School Education and the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation (CCF), is aimed at addressing growing mental health concerns among government school students through early intervention, life skill education, yoga, meditation and community-based activities.

Kataria described the initiative as timely, pioneering and socially relevant. He appreciated the coming together of mental health professionals, educators and social workers to design an intervention focused on prevention and emotional resilience rather than crisis management alone.

The CCF president, Gen VP Malik (retd), said the foundation functioned as a collaborative platform where over 225 professionals worked across 12 subject-specific focus groups to design and implement social initiatives. They also served as a policy think-tank to support government efforts.

Earlier, CCF general secretary JM Balamurugan outlined the vision and structure of the foundation and explained the background and framework of the project. He said the project had been developed after extensive consultations with experts from institutions such as National institute of mental health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; PGIMER and GMCH, Sector 32, along with schoolteachers, counsellors and social workers.

The six-month pilot project will be implemented in seven government schools here and will focus on students of Classes VII, VIII, IX and XI. Alongside students, principals, teachers and counsellors will attend workshops to better identify and respond to emotional and behavioural issues among children.

For students, the programme will introduce yoga and meditation through engaging games, creative therapies and group activities, aimed at reducing stress and improving both mental and physical well-being. There will be special emphasis on life skills education to help students manage emotions, relationships, academic pressure and digital habits.

A sensitisation workshop for all 108 government school principals was conducted. It was led by senior mental health professionals from the PGIMER and the GMCH.

Balamurugan said based on the outcome of the pilot project, the programme would be expanded to more schools and colleges.

SALIENT FEATURES

Six-month pilot in seven Chandigarh government schools

Students of Classes VII, VIII, IX and XI to be covered

Capacity building of principals, teachers and counsellors

Expert inputs from NIMHANS, PGIMER and GMCH-32

Yoga and meditation introduced through fun, game-based activities

Creative therapies including music, movement and healing arts

Life skill education covering digital discipline, relationships and leadership

Community group activities to build empathy and social responsibility

Multidisciplinary implementation team from healthcare, education and social work