– Derick H. Lindquist, Ph.D. Professor and Dean, School of Psychology & Counselling, O.P. Jindal Global University

Higher education today is a global industry, assessed through enrolment numbers, revenue, academic outcomes, placements, rankings, and other quantifiable indicators. Within India’s higher education institutions (HEIs) there is a conspicuously disconnect between institutional success and student mental health.

In a landmark intervention last year, the Supreme Court of India affirmed that HEIs bear a legal responsibility to provide counselling and mental health support to students. Emerging from cases involving student suicides and questions of institutional accountability, the ruling represents a decisive shift in how student welfare is to be understood and managed. The Court made clear that mental health support is not a discretionary service or auxiliary benefit, but an indispensable obligation of colleges and universities.

This judicial clarification arrives at a critical moment. India is home to the world’s largest youth population and one of the most expansive higher education systems globally, comprising nearly 45,000 colleges, over 1,100 universities, and more than 40 million enrolled students. While institutional capacity has grown rapidly in response to economic development and rising social aspirations, investment in student mental health infrastructure has lagged significantly behind.

The prevailing culture of Indian higher education remains intensely competitive and results-oriented. High-stakes entrance examinations, limited institutional capacity, continuous evaluation, and immense familial expectations collectively generate sustained psychological pressure. Within this environment, emotional distress is often normalised as a rite of passage—an assumed marker of perseverance rather than a signal of concern. Such attitudes discourage help-seeking and encourage students to internalise distress as a personal failing rather than an institutional or systemic issue.

Compounding these pressures are challenges unique to the present generation of students. As members of Gen Z, today’s learners are the first to grow up fully immersed in digital ecosystems. While online platforms provide unprecedented access to information and learning resources, they also intensify social comparison, cyberbullying, isolation, and performance anxiety. Academic achievement increasingly merges with personal identity, amplifying both success and failure. As a result, struggles with mental well-being have become a defining feature of campus life.

Global evidence reflects this trend. The World Health Organization estimates that one in seven young people experiences a mental disorder. Indian data mirrors—and in some cases exceeds—these figures. Surveys by the Indian Psychiatric Society indicate that nearly 40 percent of adolescents cite stress and anxiety as primary health concerns. A more recent 2025 study found that almost 70 percent of Indian students report moderate to high levels of anxiety, while nearly 60 percent exhibit symptoms of depression. Together, these findings point to a growing and systemic public mental health challenge across Indian campuses.

Policy responses are beginning to emerge. In January 2026, the University Grants Commission released draft guidelines for a Uniform Policy on Mental Health and Well-Being, mandating that all higher education institutions establish mental health and wellness centres and appoint trained counsellors or psychologists. While these measures are commendable, past experience suggests implementation will be uneven and slow. Many institutions continue to lack access to qualified professionals, while others remain severely understaffed, with a single counsellor responsible for thousands of students—far beyond acceptable standards of care.

Moreover, regulation alone cannot address deeply entrenched stigma. Despite increasing public discourse around mental health, shame, fear of judgement, social exclusion, and concerns about academic repercussions continue to deter students from seeking professional help. National surveys reveal a persistent gap between supportive attitudes toward mental illness and actual help-seeking behaviour, even among educated youth.

The costs of neglect extend far beyond individual suffering. Today’s students constitute tomorrow’s workforce. Poor mental health undermines attendance, concentration, learning outcomes, and long-term productivity. When students disengage, underperform, or drop out due to unaddressed psychological distress, the consequences ripple across families, communities, and the national economy. A Deloitte-commissioned study estimates that mental health conditions cost Indian employers over ₹1 lakh crore (approximately USD 14 billion) annually due to lost productivity, absenteeism, and attrition. Preventive mental health care in higher education, therefore, is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity.

If the Supreme Court’s ruling is to produce meaningful change, institutions must move beyond compliance-driven checklists and undertake substantive reform. This includes adequate staffing—ideally one counsellor for every 500 to 1,000 students—stable funding, and transparent accountability mechanisms. Mental health literacy and psychological first aid should be embedded into curricula, encompassing emotional intelligence, stress management, digital coping skills, and resilience training. Crucially, student well-being indicators must be tracked and publicly reported as markers of institutional quality, alongside traditional measures such as research output and graduation rates.

Encouragingly, students themselves are increasingly advocating for change through peer-support networks, mindfulness initiatives, neurodiversity programmes, and anti-stigma campaigns. The Supreme Court’s decision has now lent legal weight to these efforts, affirming that mental health deserves the same seriousness as academic performance. Higher education authorities can no longer treat access to mental health services as an optional indulgence, deferred until crisis strikes.

Safeguarding student mental well-being is now a national imperative—essential not only for protecting young lives, but for sustaining India’s educational credibility, social resilience, and economic future.

Also Read: Preparing Indian Graduates for Jobs That Didn’t Exist Five Years Ago