The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will launch the CISCE Student Mental Health and Well-Being Conclave 2026, a three-tier initiative involving nearly 16 lakh students from Classes VI-XII, 32,000 teachers and more than 3,300 affiliated schools.

The initiative, coinciding with World Mental Health Day on October 10, will begin with school-level discussions from October 4-31 on student stress and academic pressures; emotional well-being, digital life and positive relationships; drugs, substance abuse and healthy choices; and resilience and help-seeking behaviour.

The second tier will comprise virtual Regional Student Mental Health and Well-Being Conclaves across 18 regions from November 4-14. Selected student representatives and teacher mentors will participate in the regional discussions, with 72 students and 18 teacher mentors to be selected for the national conclave.

The CISCE National Student Mental Health Conclave will be held from November 20-22 at the CISCE Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad. It will bring together students, teachers, mental health and policy experts, CISCE leadership, partner agencies and media representatives.

The initiative will culminate in a CISCE Student Mental Health Charter outlining principles, rights, responsibilities and recommendations for supportive schools. CISCE will also work towards developing a Student Well-being Index, a repository of school practices and a White Paper on emerging mental health concerns among adolescents.

CISCE Chief Executive and Secretary Dr Joseph Emmanuel said the initiative aims to create a structured mechanism for listening to students and translating their experiences into recommendations and school practices. The council may subsequently institutionalise the conclave as a biennial initiative.

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