Student wellbeing in India falls from 62 per cent in Class 8 to 43 per cent in Class 12, according to a report by the IC3 Institute based on responses from 8,515 students across the country.

The Student Well-being Pulse Report 2026, released at the IC3 Conference and Expo in Mumbai, found that happiness declined from 65 per cent to 48 per cent during the same period, while confidence fell from 64 per cent to 47 per cent.

Nearly two-thirds of students, or 64 per cent, said they dealt with stress independently, while only 6 per cent approached a school counsellor. Although 52 per cent believed counselling or therapy would be helpful, just 54 per cent said they had a trusted adult they could speak to.

The report also identified gaps in career guidance. Only 52 per cent of students reported receiving structured career counselling, while 33 per cent experienced anxiety due to unclear career options. In Bihar, this figure reached 43 per cent.

More than half of respondents, 55 per cent, reported sleeping six hours or less each night. Girls reported higher levels of anxiety, frustration and sadness, with 52 per cent saying they felt confident, compared with 64 per cent of boys.

IC3 Movement founder Ganesh Kohli said schools, families, universities and counsellors needed to make support and guidance more accessible to students.

The findings were presented at the organisation’s annual conference, held on August 19 and 20, which brought together education professionals and policymakers from more than 60 countries.

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