In Compliance with the Supreme Court of India’s Directives on Student Mental Health
Constitutional Foundation:
The Supreme Court has declared that mental health is an inseparable component of the Right to Life and Dignity under Article 21.
Educational institutions exercise authority over students in conditions of vulnerability and are therefore under a positive constitutional duty to prevent foreseeable psychological harm.
1. Institutional Acknowledgement of Constitutional Duty (Non-Negotiable)
What institutions must do
Every school, college, and university must formally and expressly acknowledge—through a written, approved policy—that:
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Student mental health is a constitutional responsibility, not a welfare activity
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The institution accepts a duty of care to protect psychological well-being
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This duty applies equally to academic, residential, co-curricular, disciplinary, and administrative functions
This acknowledgement must be:
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Approved by the highest governing authority
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Incorporated into institutional statutes, codes, or handbooks
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Communicated to students, staff, parents (where applicable), and hostel authorities
Why this is required
The Supreme Court has made clear that denial, silence, or informality around mental health governance amounts to institutional abdication of constitutional responsibility.
2. Creation of a Standing Student Mental Health Governance Body
What institutions must do
Institutions must establish a permanent, empowered Student Mental Health Committee or Cell, which:
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Is formally notified
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Includes senior administration, faculty representatives, student welfare officers, and access to mental health professionals
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Has authority to recommend and enforce institutional changes
The committee must:
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Meet at fixed intervals
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Review academic pressure points, student complaints, distress indicators, and institutional practices
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Record decisions and ensure follow-through
Why this is required
The Supreme Court rejected ad-hoc or crisis-only responses. Mental health must be governed with continuity and accountability.
3. Proactive Redesign of Academic and Institutional Systems
What institutions must do
Institutions must actively examine and redesign systems that create foreseeable psychological stress, including:
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Examination frequency and clustering
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Excessive continuous assessments
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Rigid attendance rules without exception mechanisms
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Punitive or humiliating disciplinary practices
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Public ranking, shaming, or fear-based motivation
Institutions must:
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Identify high-stress academic periods in advance
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Introduce flexibility, buffer mechanisms, and relief windows
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Ensure disciplinary systems are corrective, not intimidating
Why this is required
The Court recognised that systemic pressure, not individual weakness, is a primary driver of student distress.
4. Guaranteed Access to Qualified Mental Health Professionals
What institutions must do
Every institution must ensure students have access to qualified mental health professionals, either:
Institutions must ensure that:
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Counselling is confidential and voluntary
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Seeking help has no academic, attendance, or disciplinary consequences
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Students are repeatedly informed of how to access support
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Emergency referral systems are pre-arranged
Critical boundary clarified by the Court
Institutions are not required to diagnose or treat mental illness, but must facilitate access and not create barriers.
5. Mandatory Sensitisation and Training of Faculty & Staff
What institutions must do
All faculty members, tutors, wardens, hostel staff, and relevant administrators must undergo mandatory mental health sensitisation training, covering:
Institutions must ensure:
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Training is repeated periodically
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New staff receive orientation
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No untrained staff handles crisis situations alone
Why this is required
The Supreme Court emphasised that untrained institutional responses often worsen harm.
6. Confidential Help-Seeking and Reporting Mechanisms
What institutions must do
Institutions must establish safe, confidential, and non-punitive mechanisms through which students can:
These mechanisms must:
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Not trigger punishment or academic disadvantage
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Be clearly explained to students
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Have defined response timelines
Why this is required
Fear of retaliation or stigma prevents early intervention, which the Court identified as a systemic failure.
7. Written Crisis Response and Escalation Protocol
What institutions must do
Every institution must have a written crisis intervention protocol, which:
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Defines “imminent risk” clearly
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Specifies decision-makers and responsibilities
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Balances confidentiality with the duty to protect life
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Identifies emergency contacts, hospitals, and support services
All crisis responses must be:
Judicial principle
Privacy and autonomy yield only in cases of credible, imminent danger.
8. Protection of Privacy, Consent, and Dignity
What institutions must do
Institutions must ensure that:
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Mental health information is confidential
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Consent is obtained wherever possible
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Disclosure is minimal and justified
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No student is labelled, exposed, or publicly identified
Students must be informed of:
Why this is required
The Supreme Court emphasised that mental health protection cannot itself become a source of dignity violation.
9. Effective Grievance Redressal for Mental Health–Related Complaints
What institutions must do
Institutions must provide accessible grievance mechanisms for complaints relating to:
Grievances must be:
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Addressed within defined timelines
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Reviewed independently where required
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Used to implement corrective and preventive action
Why this is required
Absence of grievance redressal reflects systemic governance failure.
10. Special Protection for Residential, Migrant, and Coaching-Linked Students
What institutions must do
Institutions must identify students who are:
For such students, institutions must:
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Provide enhanced welfare oversight
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Conduct regular check-ins
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Ensure easy access to support
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Coordinate with local services
Why this is required
The Supreme Court gave special attention to migration and isolation-driven vulnerability.
11. Engagement with Parents and Guardians (Age-Appropriate)
What institutions must do
Where appropriate, institutions must:
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Inform parents/guardians about support systems
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Engage them responsibly in high-risk situations
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Respect student autonomy, age, and consent norms
Why this is required
Support ecosystems must extend beyond campus where necessary.
12. Continuous Monitoring, Audit, and Accountability
What institutions must do
Institutions must:
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Periodically review mental health measures
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Present findings to governing bodies
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Update policies and procedures
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Maintain documentation for inspection or judicial review
Mental health governance must be treated as ongoing, not one-time.
Final Binding Principle
Educational institutions must understand that mental health is not optional, charitable, or secondary.
It is a constitutional obligation arising from Article 21.
Failure to act proactively, reasonably, and systematically may attract legal, regulatory, and constitutional consequences.