Haryana moves to finalise student mental health training module

The Haryana Government has begun the process of finalising a draft training module and putting in place a structured framework to create Master Trainers on student mental health for higher education institutions, sources said. The move follows recent Supreme Court directives aimed at addressing rising mental health concerns and preventing suicides among college and university students.

The Master Trainers will later train teaching and non-teaching staff in colleges across the state as per institutional needs. As a first step, principals of 30 government colleges from Jhajjar, Faridabad, Gurugram and Palwal districts have been nominated to attend a two-day workshop in Gurugram on January 15 and 16 on “Mental Health of Students and Prevention of Suicides in Higher Education Institutions”.

“The workshop aims to finalise the draft module and establish a systematic framework for developing Master Trainers. The nominated principals have been directed to study the draft module in advance to ensure meaningful participation during the sessions,” said a communique issued by the Department of Higher Education on Monday.

The initiative assumes significance in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s directions mandating biannual training of college and university staff to address student mental health issues. The apex court has also constituted a National Task Force to recommend preventive measures against student suicides.

“The draft training module, prepared for Master Trainers, focuses on understanding common mental health issues among college students, differentiating between temporary stress and diagnosable mental illnesses, and identifying academic, behavioural and emotional warning signs,” sources said. “It also emphasises the role of teachers in creating psychologically safe classrooms, effective communication, ethical boundaries, confidentiality, documentation and timely referral to professional mental health services.”

The module further outlines proactive campus strategies, including integrating wellness into the curriculum, strengthening counselling and referral systems, developing institutional policies on student well-being, and establishing clear crisis response mechanisms for high-risk situations.

“As per recent guidelines issued in view of the Supreme Court’s observations, all educational institutions with 100 or more students are required to appoint or hire at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health. Institutions with fewer students have been advised to create formal referral arrangements with external mental health professionals,” the sources added.