The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education conceptualized ‘Integrated Approach to Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience and Wellbeing in HEIs’. In addition to guidelines, advisories and various orientation programs already in place to focus on the widespread issue of mental health of students in HEIs at stake, more strategic interventions were needed to promote psychological wellbeing of the students on campus. Strengthening of the support mechanism to cater to the varied needs of students in promoting positive mental health, resilience and wellbeing was recognized as essential in this process. In this backdrop, HEIs have a major role to play in adopting practices and equipping itself with expertise needed to offer a strengthened system that promotes mental health, resilience and wellbeing of students.

Department of Higher Education has planned a series of strategic interventions to complement and expedite the process of making HEIs adopt necessary measures to ensure students’ wellbeing.

Capacity Building for Promotion of Positive Mental Health, Resilience and Wellbeing’ is one of the interventions planned under the‘Integrated Approach’,which is being organized regularlywith the identified Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Under this program, fortnightly 2 online sessions are organized with faculty members nominated by the identified 10-12 HEIs (starting from May 2024).

Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, Senior Psychiatrist and Program Director, Expressions India is leading a team of Resource Persons with expertise in the field of mental health and wellbeing to hold interactive sessions regularly for the nominated faculty members.The program is being implemented in close coordination with NIEPA.