A sudden outburst of rage in the classroom, a child withdrawing from friends, a sharp fall in academic performance or repeated refusal to attend school may be more than a disciplinary problem.
It added that guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT and the Ministry of Education are being implemented in UT government schools. “There are 111 government schools in Chandigarh and 85 counsellors are presently working in these schools. The department also maintained that government schools in Chandigarh are following the NCERT school guidance and counselling framework, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), 2023. With 111 government schools and 85 counsellors, not every school presently has a dedicated counsellor. The proposed recruitment of 15 more counsellors is aimed at expanding independent counsellor coverage in high and senior secondary schools.
We are in the process of hiring 15 more counsellors so that all high and senior secondary schools have provision of an independent school counsellor,” said Nitish Singla, director school education.
Singla said counselling support is being provided across government schools. Dedicated counsellor coverage still being expanded While the department says counselling services are available across its government school network, the figures show that the number of counsellors is currently lower than the number of schools.
Focus on identifying distress before a crisis The larger aim of the evolving framework is to ensure that intervention does not begin only after a child reaches a crisis point. Rage or repeated aggression may be a visible sign of an underlying concern, while quieter forms of distress—such as social withdrawal or sudden behavioural changes—can be easier to miss. This makes early identification by teachers, timely referral and access to trained counselling support crucial.
However, the UT has 111 government schools and 85 counsellors, with the department now in the process of hiring 15 more counsellors. CBSE tightens counselling norms The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) strengthened its counselling requirements through an amendment to its Affiliation Bye-Laws on January 19, 2026. 02/2026, every CBSE-affiliated school is required to appoint a counselling and wellness teacher (socio-emotional counsellor) at a ratio of one counsellor for up to every 500 students, maintaining a counsellor-to-student ratio of 1:500. TRG-03/2026, dated February 20, 2026, on promoting mental health, wellness and social-emotional learning in schools. UT has 85 counsellors for 111 govt schools According to information provided by the UT education department, counsellors in government schools undertake individual counselling of students and deal with behavioural issues and diverse learning needs, apart from career counselling, awareness on equity-related issues and parental counselling. For CBSE-affiliated schools, the revised 2026 norms have laid down a clearer structure for socio-emotional counselling and career guidance, including the 1:500 counsellor-to-student ratio for the counselling and wellness teacher.
Under the evolving framework for mental health support in schools, such changes are expected to be identified early and addressed through counselling and, where necessary, specialised intervention. The process is meant to begin with teachers and other school staff noticing warning signs and referring the student for support. Teachers are often the first to spot warning signs Teachers interact with students on a daily basis and can often be the first to notice significant changes in their behaviour. The NCERT’s early identification and intervention for mental health concerns in the school going children and adolescents framework stresses the importance of recognising concerns at an early stage and ensuring timely intervention. Warning signs can include sudden anger or aggression, social withdrawal, a decline in academic performance, refusal to attend school and other significant behavioural or emotional changes. The objective is to ensure that every outburst or behavioural concern is not viewed only as a disciplinary issue. Once a concern is noticed, the student can be referred to a counsellor or other appropriate support system for further assessment and intervention. From referral to counselling and specialised support The next stage involves individual support from a trained counsellor or wellness professional. Depending on the concern, counselling may involve one-on-one sessions with the student and discussions with parents. Where a child requires specialised intervention, the case can be referred to an appropriate mental health professional. The larger approach envisaged under school mental health frameworks is a whole-school system, involving teachers, counsellors, school authorities and parents, rather than leaving the responsibility solely with one person. The Union ministry of education and NCERT have also developed psychosocial support mechanisms, including Manodarpan, to provide mental health resources and support to students, teachers and families. Under Circular No. The amended rules also require schools to appoint a career counsellor, separating career guidance from socio-emotional counselling support. The CBSE prescribed qualifications for the counselling and wellness teacher, including degrees in relevant areas such as psychology and social work specialising in mental health or counselling. What schools and staff are required to do CBSE followed this with Circular No. Under the circular, all teaching and non-teaching staff are required to undergo mandatory training at least twice a year, conducted by a certified mental health professional. The training is required to cover–psychological first aid; identification of warning signs; response to self-harm; and referral mechanisms–the circular also requires schools to sensitise parents and guardians to recognise signs of psychological distress and avoid placing undue academic pressure on students. Schools are required to maintain anonymous records and prepare an annual report indicating the number of wellness interventions, student referrals, training sessions and other mental health-related activities. CBSE also asked schools to integrate mental health literacy, emotional regulation, life skills and awareness of institutional support services into student orientation programmes and curricular activities. How counselling support is organised across schools without a dedicated counsellor will be central to assessing the reach of the existing mechanism. The effectiveness of the system also depends on how quickly a teacher noticing a warning sign is able to connect a child with appropriate support. Their role includes career counselling as well as addressing diverse learning needs and behavioural concerns among students. Individual counselling sessions with parents are also undertaken where required. However, the availability and structure of counselling services can vary from one school to another. With CBSE strengthening norms for affiliated schools and the city expanding its counselling workforce, the effectiveness of the system will ultimately depend on whether the entire chain works together—from identifying the first warning sign to providing counselling and, where required, specialised professional support.
The issue assumes significance in UT, where the education department says counselling services are available across government schools. Pvt schools also have counselling mechanisms According to the UT education department, private schools generally have one or two counsellors.
