Manodarpan is the Ministry of Education’s counselling service that seeks to help students in school and college deal with the fallout of the pandemic
Team TLT
Across the world, the pandemic has affected a myriad sectors. Education has suffered tremendously.
Worldwide, schools and colleges closed and learning went online. While many institutions were able to get on board with this new model of imparting education with ease others struggled with this unfamiliar mode of learning and teaching. The COVID-19 crisis has caused many students mental anguish, ranging from a lack of enthusiasm for learning to stress, anxiety, fear, anger, depression, and in extreme cases, suicidal behaviour.
A rising number of suicides among students had been noticed even before the pandemic hit. As per data tabled in Parliament by the Human Resource Development Ministry, almost 10,000 students committed suicide every year in India between 2016 and 2018. The Ministry sourced its data from ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’, which is based on data provided by the states and Union Territories.
Another compilation by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) states that every hour one student commits suicide in India, with about 28 such suicides reported every day. The data shows that 10,159 students took their own lives in 2018, going up from 9,905 in 2017, and 9,478 in 2016. Maharashtra accounted for the biggest number of student suicides in 2018 with 1,448 — almost four suicides every day. Tamil Nadu (953) and Madhya Pradesh (862) came next.
In June 2020, a 15-year old girl in Class 10, from Valanchery in Kerala’s Malappuram district
committed suicide because she neither had a smartphone nor was able to attend online classes or watch television lessons because of a non-functioning television in her house.
The rising suicide rate in the country demands that the authorities come up with solutions that pay due attention to the mental health and well-being of the young.
The underlying issue of suicidal tendencies implies the inability to cope with the stresses of day-to-day life and the ignorance of mental health. To address the issue, the Ministry of Education, has come up with Manodarpan as a part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Launched on July 21, 2020, Manodarpan is a service that aims to support students in matters
of mental health and well-being. It has taken on board education and mental health specialists who will address students’ concerns during and after the pandemic through counselling services, online resources and an active helpline.
Users can access a wide range of resources and activities in the form of audios and videos that will help them manage their stress and get their concerns addressed by experts via the helpline or online chat. Any sort of help that students need to deal with stress is available on this platform.
Salient features of the platform are:
• Advice for students, teachers and faculty of schools and universities along with families
• The internet web page of Manodarpan contains an array of resources including podcasts,
videos, informative documents, practical tips, do’s and don’ts, FAQs, and more to address various issues relating to mental well-being.
• Nationwide degree database and listing of counsellors at school and university level. Their expertise can be availed of through the tele-counselling service on the national helpline.
• The nationwide toll-free helpline number (8448440632) will be managed by experienced counsellors, psychologists and other mental health professionals. This helpline will continue to exist after the pandemic.
• Interactive online chat to contact and seek guidance from the experts. Not only students, teachers as well as families can use this facility.
• Another crucial addition to the resources will be the Handbook on Psychological Support: Enriching Life Skills And Well-Being Of Students. This free handbook will be published online some time in the future for easy access to all. Apart from FAQs, facts and myths, it promises to cover ways and means to manage stress-related issues, emotional and behavioural concerns in young children and college-going youth during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of now the platform can be accessed in Hindi and English.
