Kanpur: District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh on Thursday directed that Socio Emotional Learning (SEL) rooms be set up in educational institutions having 100 or more enrolled students.

In a meeting of the district level committee, constituted to monitor and implement student mental health and coaching centre regulations, the DM said these rooms will provide students with a safe environment, opportunities for communication and structured activities to cope with stress.

Psychological counsellors at the centres would help them overcome mental pressure and anxiety. The School Wellness Committee will also be mandatory in schools, said the DM directing that volunteers be integrated into this system.

The committee has been constituted on the basis of the Supreme Court guidelines passed on July 28-2025 in Sukdev Saha vs State of Andhra Pradesh and others.

DIOS Santosh Rai said that the numbers of National Suicide Helpline Telemans 14416 and 1800891416 will be displayed at prominent places in every campus.

The DM directed that every college and university should prepare a uniform mental health policy inspired by the UMEED draft guidelines, the Manodarpan initiative and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. All educational institutions must display this policy on their website and notice board.

All institutions have been directed to submit a compliance report within a month. If any student or youth shows pre-suicidal tendencies or negative feelings, the institute should immediately inform his or her family members, he added.

CDO Diksha Jain, psychiatrist Dr Chiranjeevi Prasad, psychologist L K Singh, psychologist Poonam Singh, social worker Disha Arora, BSA Surjeet Singh, District Disability Empowerment Officer Vinay Uttam and other concerned officials were present at the meeting.

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