WITHOUT FUNDING UGC UNIFORM MENTAL HEALTH POLICY RISKS FALLING SHORT
By Sonal Srivastava
Times of India
The draft UGC Guidelines on Uniform Policy on Mental Health and Well Being for Higher Educational Institutions is in the public domain for stakeholder feedback. While the aim is to build a sustainable ecosystem of psychosocial support within an inclusive and empathetic environment the draft features provisions that can derail policy implementation in under resourced HEIs.
The draft policy document makes HEIs responsible for identification and optimal use of existing resources provided by the ministries and UGC such as helpline numbers and funds etc. Execution of the guidelines to create a positive ecosystem by creating Mental Health and Well Being Centres. It further adds HEIs shall ensure the required funds for implementation of the Uniform Mental Health and Well Being policy and training of mental health professionals.
Dr Jitendra Nagpal psychiatrist Moolchand Hospital New Delhi and member of the core committee that formulated the UGC Guidelines emphasises that placing the policy in the public domain is the first step. Institutions need time to read reflect and give feedback. Universities and colleges are expected to examine what basic infrastructure they already have what can be improved and where gaps remain whether in counselling spaces trained personnel referral mechanisms or awareness programmes. Clear timelines will eventually follow not only for implementation but also for sustainability and outcomes. Monitoring evaluation and robust documentation both online and offline are envisaged as integral to the policy success says Dr Nagpal.
An estimated 15 to 20 of young people require mental health support with a significant proportion experiencing diagnosable conditions. Student suicides in India are among the highest in the world. Handling the vulnerable 15 to 30 age group often celebrated as Indias demographic dividend is also its most complex challenge says Dr Nagpal.
One of the deeper concerns the policy seeks to address is a troubling paradox students with high intelligence and academic promise often show heightened emotional vulnerability. Among youth aged 18 to 25 around 15 are affected by depressive disorders. Academic pressure relationship stress career uncertainty and the obsession with placements and salary packages particularly in the final years of professional courses have intensified distress Dr Nagpal observes.
ENSURING CONTINUITY
A recurring concern among academics is that the new push for campus mental health infrastructure places the entire operational and financial burden on HEIs that are already grappling with funding constraints. Setting up mental health centres is not a symbolic exercise. It involves dedicated physical space hiring trained counsellors psychologists or psychiatrists maintaining confidential databases and ensuring continuity of services. In the absence of any dedicated grants or funding mechanisms institutions have little choice but to absorb these costs internally says Prof Abha Dev Bhatia Physics department Miranda House and former Delhi University Teachers Association president.
For most public universities and colleges the only viable route to generate resources is through student fees. This she argues risks creating a vicious cycle rising fees lead to higher education loans increased financial anxiety among students and a deepening sense of guilt about parental sacrifice ironically aggravating mental health pressures the policy seeks to mitigate.
Students living away from home already spend substantially on accommodation and daily expenses often under precarious conditions making the overall cost of education far higher than tuition fees alone says Prof Habib.
Mental health experts caution against a compliance heavy approach that could undermine intent. An excessive focus on documentation audits and ranking linked metrics may produce performative solutions rather than real change. Without sustained funding and a parallel effort to rebuild campus communities through peer networks meaningful teacher student engagement and organic support systems mental health policies may look robust on paper but remain fragile in practice.
The UGC draft foreword offers guidance and training support but has no earmarked grants or implementation timelines. Internationally governments often support such mandates. For example the United Kingdom has allocated over 250 million pounds to student mental health services and Australia funds national Headspace support programmes for universities.
The guidelines do not expressly allow multi institutional centres. They say that each HEI shall establish a dedicated Mental Health and Well Being Centre with its own infrastructure says Brajesh Tiwari professor Atal School of Management JNU.
DATE : 27/1/2026
POSTED BY : EDUCATION TIMES
