AU starts counselling helpline for students

Allahabad University has set up a helpline for mental health, psychosocial concerns and well-being of the students in the university with immediate effect.

Following the letter of the UGC’s secretary dated April 5, Allahabad University has set up a helpline for mental health, psychosocial concerns and well-being of the students in the university with immediate effect. Names of experts and mobile numbers to be contacted have been provided on our official website, said AU’s registrar, Prof NK Shukla. In a first such move, the central varsity has set up a helpline for psychological counselling by experts free of cost for its students.

The central varsity has set up a helpline for psychological counselling by experts free of cost for its students.

Many teachers of AU would be present for helping the students. This includes the dean student welfare Prof KP Singh, the proctor, Prof RK Upadhyaya, Dr SK Agarwal of the university health center, senior teachers of the department of psychology and that of centre of behavioural and cognitive sciences (CBCS) etc. Besides, wardens and superintendents of various boys and girls hostel of AU have also been made members of the helpline and they can be contacted by the students in case of any need while handling their mental health.

“Through the helpline, we will regularly monitor the students through interaction over phones, emails, digital and social media platforms and facilitate the formation of the Covid-19 help groups of students, headed by hostel wardens/ senior faculty members to provide immediate necessary help”, said Prof Shukla.