In recent years, the conversation around mental health in India has grown louder — but not deep enough yet. Despite growing awareness, the stigma surrounding psychological well-being persists, silently affecting millions across the country. As India advances technologically and economically, mental health remains the missing link in its developmental narrative. The time has come for the country’s public-funded universities to lead the change by institutionalising courses and research programmes in mental health education. This is not just an academic necessity but a social imperative.
Public-funded universities occupy a central place in India’s higher education landscape, says the All India Survey on Higher Education report. They shape millions of young minds and influence the nation’s social discourse. Introducing mental health-related courses in these institutions will normalise conversations around emotional well-being among students and teachers alike. It will foster empathy, self-awareness, and coping mechanisms in a generation increasingly burdened by academic stress, career uncertainty, and digital isolation. If mental health becomes part of the university curriculum, the benefits of such education will inevitably spread to homes, workplaces, and communities.
The benefits extend beyond awareness. India’s mental health infrastructure desperately needs trained professionals, and universities can become the training ground for this workforce. Courses in counselling psychology, clinical psychology, social work, and mental health management can create a pool of qualified graduates ready to serve schools, hospitals, corporate wellness programmes, and community initiatives. Research in these fields will further strengthen evidence-based policy and localised mental health strategies — something India has long lacked. With the right academic push, public universities can become catalysts in turning mental healthcare from a privilege into a public right.
However, turning this vision into reality faces formidable challenges. Many universities do not have the academic infrastructure or faculty expertise to start such courses. With limited budgets and increasing dependence on grants even for paying salaries and pensions, many public universities prioritise technical and professional disciplines, often overlooking social and health sciences. Bureaucratic hurdles further delay course approvals and faculty appointments. Moreover, the enduring stigma associated with mental illness often makes mental health a low-priority subject in academic and policy circles.
Small steps
Yet these challenges are not insurmountable. Change can begin with small, strategic steps. Universities could start by offering elective or certificate courses in mental health awareness and counselling skills. These short-term programmes will serve as a foundation for developing full-fledged degree courses. Digital learning platforms and hybrid models can make it easier to deliver specialised training across institutions, especially in Tier-2 and -3 cities.
Funding mechanisms need to evolve as well. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Education Ministry can earmark special grants for universities willing to launch mental health programmes. State governments can also allocate budgetary support under their health and education departments, recognising mental health as a cross-sectoral priority.
Corporate social responsibility funds can be channelled toward building campus-based wellness centres and mental health labs.
An equally crucial player in this process should be the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), New Delhi, which regulates training and professional standards in rehabilitation and special education. It can collaborate with academic bodies to develop model curricula and accreditation programmes, and certify professionals. The council can promote continuing education programmes to help faculty keep abreast of global developments in therapy, counselling, and behavioural science. By expanding its scope to include mental health education at the university level, the RCI can help India establish a standardised framework for training mental health professionals who meet both national and international standards. It can relax its norms for inspection and approvals for the state-funded universities for initial years, given their constraints in a typical government setting for initial years. The RCI, too, needs to reform itself to make its environment of governance more friendly for State universities. It can emulate the model of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), an apex regulatory body for technical education in India by opening its regional offices for better access and governance.
Nurturing role
But introducing mental health education is not only about producing professionals; it is also about nurturing citizens. In a country where suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people, universities can act as preventive spaces. Campus counselling centres, peer-support programmes, and mental health literacy workshops can become integral parts of university life. Students who learn to recognise emotional distress, seek help without shame, and support their peers can carry these values into society. Over time, this can transform cultural attitudes toward mental health — shifting the conversation from fear and stigma to understanding and empathy.
The dividends of such an educational reform are long-term and far-reaching. A generation educated about mental well-being is likely to be more resilient, socially sensitive, and productive. Employers will benefit from emotionally intelligent professionals; communities will benefit from greater compassion; and the health system will benefit from reduced psychological morbidity. Above all, the nation will benefit from citizens capable of balancing ambition with emotional balance — a trait increasingly rare in the age of relentless competition.
The idea, therefore, is simple yet profound: to make mental health education an integral part of India’s public university system. It requires vision, commitment, and collaboration among educators, policymakers, Ministries, and regulatory bodies such as the RCI and UGC. Investing in mental health education in higher education institutions, in essence, can give wings to aspirations of Viksit Bharat in the true sense.
Professor Milind Kumar Sharma teaches in the Department of Production & Industrial Engineering, MBM University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan and has been instrumental in starting an advance diploma programme in child guidance and counselling. Views expressed are personal
Published – October 10, 2025 12:01 am IST
