‘Mobiles, social media breaking family bonds’: Kataria flags new risk to school children

Punjab Governor and UT Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday cautioned that excessive use of mobile phones and social media was creating isolation within families and leaving children increasingly ignored, contributing to rising mental health challenges among young students.

Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Project Saathi’, a holistic wellness initiative for school students, 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.

‘Project Saathi’ is a joint initiative of the Department of School Education, Chandigarh Administration, and the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation (CCF). The programme aims to address growing mental health concerns among government school students through early intervention, life skills education, yoga, meditation and community-based activities.

Kataria described the initiative as timely, pioneering and socially relevant, and lauded the sustained citizen-centric work of the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation. 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.

CCF president Gen VP Malik (retd) said the foundation functioned as a collaborative platform where over 225 professionals work across 12 subject-specific focus groups to design and implement social initiatives while also serving 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 ‘Project Saathi’. He said the project had been developed after extensive consultations with experts from institutions such as NIMHANS, PGIMER and GMCH, along with school teachers, counsellors and social workers.

The six-month pilot project would be implemented in seven government schools of Chandigarh and would focus on students of Classes 7, 8, 9 and 11. Alongside students, principals, teachers and counsellors would undergo sensitisation and training workshops to better identify and respond to emotional and behavioural issues among children.

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

Senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration and several eminent citizens were present at the inauguration.

Following the launch, a sensitisation workshop for all 108 government school principals was conducted as part of the programme, led by senior mental health professionals from PGIMER and GMCH.

Balamurugan said that based on the outcomes of the pilot, ‘Project Saathi’ would be expanded to more schools and colleges and had the potential to evolve into a national model for school mental healthcare.

‘Project Saathi’ marks a significant step towards building emotionally resilient, self-aware and mentally healthy students, reinforcing Chandigarh’s push for preventive and inclusive approaches in school education.