Dharmendra Pradhan chairs review meeting on mental health of students

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the steps being taken by educational institutions to ensure mental health wellness of students and zero tolerance towards discrimination, people familiar with the development said.

Pradhan also directed the ministry to prepare a framework to further safeguard the mental and emotional well-being of students, officials said.

The meeting came in the backdrop of the death of an 18-year-old Dalit student, who allegedly died by suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, with his family claiming that he faced caste-based discrimination at the institute. The institute has denied the



allegation.

During the meeting, Pradhan asked officials to put in place an effective grievance redressal system with shared responsibility. “The minister has also asked to invite suggestions from all the stakeholders through an online medium,” a senior ministry official said, requesting anonymity.

The meeting — which was attended by senior officials from the education ministry, CBSE, AICTE, and University Grants Commission — witnessed discussions on various subjects such as gender equality, caste sensitivity, academic ease of pressure, and robust system of counselling, among others. “The minister has asked officials to ensure the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of the students,” the education ministry said in a statement.