Amid rising mental health crisis, Chandigarh colleges have no counsellors

Principals of various colleges complain that in the absence of regular counsellors, the responsibility for student mental health falls on the already overburdened teachers, who struggle to provide adequate counselling and follow-up care

The recent suicide of a former NEET topper in Delhi has once again highlighted the urgent need for mental health support in higher education. Despite this pressing issue, colleges in Chandigarh lack regular positions for counsellors.

As confirmed by an official of the UT education department, Chandigarh colleges have never had any regular posts for counsellors. The colleges, however, are free to appoint counsellors at the college level, on a temporary basis. (Getty image)

Principals of various colleges complain that in the absence of regular counsellors, the responsibility for student mental health falls on the already overburdened teachers, who struggle to provide adequate counselling and follow-up care.

As confirmed by an official of the UT education department, city colleges have never had any regular posts for counsellors. The colleges, however, are free to appoint counsellors at the college level, on a temporary basis.

There is also no order for hiring counsellors in colleges unlike schools, where it has been mandated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

City colleges, thus, find themselves turning to teachers in their psychology departments to play the role of mental health professionals.

Principal of Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Sector 32, Ajay Sharma said, “It is true that there are no regular posts for mental health counsellors in colleges, but most colleges are making do. Around four teachers in our department of psychology are qualified to be counsellors and guide students through challenging situations.”

Sharma shared that career counselling and mental health counselling for students was part of the assessment by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Therefore, colleges have to take the initiative themselves.

“While most students approach the counsellors for exam-related stress, we do also get some cases where the student needs to be referred to a trained psychiatrist or a hospital. The Covid-19 lockdown has had a significant on students’ mental health and we can still see the effect,” he added.

Speaking about what can be done in colleges, Dr Simmi Waraich, consultant psychologist for Fortis Hospital in Mohali, said, “The psychology departments of colleges must take the initiative, as there are qualified counsellors among them. On the first day itself, new students must be told about the existing facilities for mental health. An e-mail address must be available for students to come forward. Teachers must also be trained by counsellors to look for warning signs like a drastic drop in academic performance or a change in behaviour.”

Speaking about the situation, UT director higher education Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “We are working on this. Right now, the priority is on creating regular posts for teaching positions in colleges. It is a long process and can take time, but we will look into creating regular posts for mental health counsellors as well.”

PU sailing in the same boat

Meanwhile, Panjab University, catering to over 15,0000 students, also has no mental health counsellors.

An advertisement is being prepared to hire two counsellors for this session, but it is unclear when the appointments will be made.

In line with the CBSE mandate, schools, even those run by the administration, mostly have full-time counsellors.

Half of suicide victims in city aged 18 to 35

The need for dedicated mental health professionals in educational institutions has become increasingly urgent due to the rising suicide risk among youth in Chandigarh. Police data from the past four years (2021-2024) indicates that 217 out of 435 suicides in Chandigarh were among individuals aged 18 to 30.

Students have also expressed growing concern about this issue. During the last Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections, president Jatinder Singh pledged to reinstate mental health counsellors at PU, a service that has been absent for four years. This year’s president, Anurag Dalal, has echoed these concerns, emphasising the need for a robust mental health support infrastructure, especially for research scholars.