Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government made it mandatory for all the public and private educational institutes to employ a mental health counsellor or a psychologist in a government resolution on January 8, following the July 2025, supreme court order in the case of Sukdeb saha vs the state of Andhra Pradesh, which highlighted mental health as an integral part of the right to life, under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The government resolution ordered a district level inspection committee which will assess the support system at all the educational institutes and prepare an online counselling module for the students.
Educational institutions with an enrollment of 100 or more students will employ at least one counselor, psychologist, etc. Educational institutions with an enrollment of less than 100 students will establish referrals to external human health professionals.
In order to reduce stress on the students, the notification instructed the private classes that the schedule of the course/years should be arranged in such a way that the students can take a break from studying and the schedule should be arranged in such a way that the students are refreshed and do not create unnecessary human stress on them. The classes are also mandated to give leaves on festivals.
The resolution bars the private classes to make the academic records and grades of the student public. “The grades should only be used to assess the performance of students and counselling should be provided accordingly, without giving it as a burden,” it stated.
The private classes should not be held for more than four hours a day, and it should be at a convenient time for the students.
The classes will have to refrain from making student divisions based on their academic performances. “This would streamline and give the students some space while preparing for their exams,” said Mahesh Ganpule, a senior educationist.
The educational institutes will be assessed by the inspection committee set up by the state, which will consist of district magistrate, education officer, a child welfare officer, a counsellor and a psychologist.
The changes are brough about after the supreme court case has highlighted that mental health is, after a father had lost his 17-year-old daughter, a NEET candidate, in a Visakhapatnam hostel to suicide.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
