Delhi govt mulls school mental health law citing digital risks

The proposed Delhi-specific bill may cover both government and private schools and include CBSE suggestions like child protection panels.

The Delhi government is considering bringing a law focused primarily on the mental health of school students, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said on Tuesday, citing the growing impact of digital technology on children’s emotional and psychological well-being.

The framework aims to address student suicides, digital stress and hoax bomb threats, alongside disaster preparedness in schools. (HT Archive)

Sood said the proposed legal framework aims to address mental health challenges arising from increased digitalisation in education, including the use of artificial intelligence. He said the government is still in the initial stage of drafting the bill, which will be Delhi-specific and student-centric.

No timeline has been specified for drafting, tabling, or implementing the proposed law, with officials only indicating that work on the framework will begin “very soon.”

“With the increasing digitalisation in education and enhanced usage of technology like artificial intelligence, the mental health concerns of students today are different and require more attention. No learning can take place without the mental and emotional stability of students. Therefore, we feel there’s a need for a holistic legal framework that takes all these factors into account. We are still in the initial phase of working on the bill,” Sood told HT.

The scope of the proposed law is expected to cover both government and private schools, though officials have not yet outlined how the provisions would differ across the two categories.

Commenting on the recent suicide of a 15-year-old student of St Columba’s School, Sood said there is a need for a strict law to seriously assess and address mental stress-related issues among children and prevent youngsters from taking extreme steps. While the central Mental Health Care Act, 2017, is already in place, he said the proposed framework will specifically cater to students in Delhi.

The upcoming framework is likely to include suggestions made by the Central Board of Secondary Education, such as the formation of committees like the Child Protection Committee to focus on student well-being, said Sood. The nature of mental health concerns faced by students and the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in the education sector will be defined as work on the draft progresses, he added.

Sood also flagged the issue of digital threats, particularly hoax bomb threats to schools, saying these incidents require better preparedness to prevent panic. “Our government believes in preparation rather than reaction. This is the same attitude we want to inculcate in the Delhi school students when it comes to disasters, especially digital disasters, which have become more frequent with hoax bomb threats coming to schools every now and then,” he said.

“Just like every other disaster, these digital threats must also have some standard response and safety manuals so that there are no chaotic situations like in school,” he added.

Earlier this month, at the launch of the “Disaster Ready School” campaign, the minister had suggested that digital threats be included under disaster preparedness training so that teachers, support staff and students are aware of the actions to be taken.