The Ministry of Education has concluded a two-day workshop on student mental health and wellbeing at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore. The event, titled “Samvardhan: From Academic Excellence to Sustainable Wellness”, brought together educational leaders and mental health specialists to develop practical strategies for supporting student welfare across campuses.
What the workshop covered
The Department of Higher Education, Union Ministry of Education, organised the workshop in collaboration with IIT Indore. It was held under the Teacher Connect Programme of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP) for the central and west regions.
The two-day event brought together 94 participants from 21 higher education institutions across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Attendees included institutional leaders, faculty members, student affairs professionals, mental health experts, wardens, counsellors and students.
On the first day, sessions covered themes including mental health policies, institutional wellbeing programmes, how students develop a sense of belonging on campus, early identification of students needing support, peer mentoring systems and prevention of lifestyle-related health issues.
The second day offered practical training on recognising warning signs of mental distress, identifying learning disabilities, preventing substance use, and creating supportive hostel and collaborative living environments through mentoring networks.
The workshop concluded with participating institutions developing their own wellbeing indicators, recommendations and action plans for implementation on their campuses.
What this means for you
If you are a student at a participating higher education institution, your college or university is likely to introduce new mental health support systems and peer mentoring programmes based on strategies developed at this workshop. Faculty and staff at your institution will have received training on recognising signs of student distress and connecting students with appropriate help.
The workshop emphasises that building student wellbeing requires effort from the entire campus community. Your institution’s hostel facilities, counselling services and student support systems may see changes aimed at creating a more connected and psychologically healthy environment.