In an interview with TOI’s Manash Gohain, Nandita Bhatla, country director India and vice president, WorldBeing, called the education ministry’s upcoming National School Mental Health Policy a “historic” opportunity to redefine education by making student well-being central along with academics. He stressed that this policy could transform schools into places where children feel heard, supported and emotionally resilient.The Education Ministry will announce the National School Mental Health Policy by June 1. What does such a policy mean for the 40 million students who do not have access to any welfare programs?This is a much-awaited policy and I must congratulate the Ministry for taking this historic and bold step. It will redefine the experience for millions of students, where their mental well-being and inner resilience will be as important as learning. For 40 million students, our future generation, this means that their everyday school experience becomes one that enables them to thrive. Schools become an ecosystem where everything about them matters, their mindset, inner strengths, their relationship with peers and teachers; Where they learn and are listened to; And where they not only write exams but can also practice ways to overcome challenges and stress, resolve conflicts and prepare mentally and emotionally.By making well-being a guaranteed component of education, this policy will reset the original purpose of education – to create well-rounded and happy individuals. For students and the public at large, who are concerned about the mental health of youth and teens – this will be a promise of better things to come.At WorldBeing India, the Enlight India initiative was created for exactly this. Over the past several years, we have been working in partnership with state governments to incorporate evidence-based wellness programming into education systems, not just as a project but as a permanent curriculum. This national announcement gives a powerful tailwind to that work.The policy lists teacher capacity building as a key pillar. How can the training model be linked to a national rollout?Often, the focus is only on the content delivered to students, with the teacher seen merely as a means to make that happen. Yet we know that the only person who can create ‘magic’ in the classroom is a teacher. And, each of India’s 10 million teachers can do this for every child in their class.In our experience of over a decade working with teachers in state education systems, we have seen this ‘magic’ happen again and again. Personal experience of inner change and one’s own sense of well-being are the most effective ways to ensure that teachers lead this national rollout. Teacher capacity building is embedded in the system in the states where we work; In institutions and calendars; and in accountability structures. It cannot be considered an afterthought or an add-on.State Education Departments, SCERT, DIET, TTI have prepared an operational blueprint with us on how the annual training calendar of in-service training and CPD courses can incorporate such training.Through INLIGHT, we are working across state governments to jointly design and implement practical, feasible and effective training. Setting aside dedicated time in advance and investing in intensive and transformative foundational training builds understanding and perspective that should last.One of the most important strategies for national roll out is the in-service and CPD modules offered by RIEs. Planning for sustainability is equally important – Bihar is the first state to create modules for pre-service course requirements. So every teacher coming into the system will come with a perspective and understanding of how their classroom transactions can support well-being.India has a rich tradition of ‘Guru-Shishya’, which goes far beyond the give-and-take relationship of information and knowledge. This policy calls for adopting that knowledge at the core of school education.Only 10.4% of schools provide psychosocial support. The policy promises school counselors and early detection systems – but how can India bridge the gap between declaration and implementation?A comprehensive, or holistic, framework for implementing policy should focus on promoting mental health aspects (mental health literacy or wellness training) as well as building mental health services. There is a huge difference between the two in the country at present.To ensure that the policy remains well implemented and not mere window dressing, operational plans must be evidence-backed, adequately resourced and diligently monitored. These three aspects will ensure that this promise is realized. What seems challenging is practically possible by learning from global best practices and adapting to local contexts.Psychosocial support should be understood in a globally recognized stepped care or tiered model. There is no way there can be, and is not required to be, well-trained health care professionals for every child in India, as this model grades the support needed along the mental health continuum.At the first level – about 85% of individuals need universal strength-based wellness programs, not specialized care. They build inner resilience in students through a systematic curriculum taught by teachers in the classroom to deal with everyday stresses and challenges. Our research shows that just one weekly class is enough.The second step is to identify students who may need some help – students who exhibit behaviors that require counseling. Every teacher can be trained to identify them, provide basic psychosocial support and refer them to trained counsellors. Thus, school counselors or others trained in basic counseling skills form the second level of referral.Finally, people who are diagnosed with common mental disorders receive treatment through trained psychologists and psychiatrists.Such a model provides specific skills for specific personnel and can go a long way toward putting in place a realistic system of support and referral.We should also remember that India has well prepared and exceptionally resourced ‘District Mental Health Programmes’. It is a point of convergence between the education and mental health fields.The policy speaks directly to SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 4 (quality education), which India has formally committed to achieve by 2030. With only 4 years to go – and evidence showing that mental health directly impacts school dropout rates, early marriage and economic participation among girls – where do you see the country?Better late than never. Several evaluations globally and in India show how a systematic integration of wellness sessions by trained teachers can begin to change the situation within a year.Our evidence from more than six RCTs and our longitudinal data shows that this is possible, and the changes are lasting. If we make this a priority over the next few years, we will be on track to show significant progress on both of these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Our country has also set the target of ‘Developed India 2047′. The call to invest in students’ healthy and resilient mindsets as a key learning outcome – clear operational frameworks, accountability systems and dedicated budgets to track their well-being – will help achieve this goal.Government policies on mental health in schools have been announced before and are lackluster. What should be done to ensure the success of the new program?A policy is only as good as its implementation.Well-being means starting from a state of inner strengths, so let’s talk about those first. It is encouraging to see specific outcome indicators that the policy sets out for tracking. This means that accountability at the state level by having a nodal officer, department or committee to monitor well-being in the state will be important, along with a strong plan and dedicated funds.Secondly, India has strong nationwide systems like UDISE, NAS and School Quality Index. We know that what is counted counts, so these tracking systems at the central and state government levels should make these mandatory indicators for reporting.Third, we have legitimate operating models, which are created and owned by the state and embedded within institutions. Our Enlight India Initiative is doing just that – working with system actors to build the architecture and DNA of the system. The good news is that we know it is possible to implement it within the system and at scale.Finally, Indian philanthropy can join hands with the school system to move beyond programs and make commitments for long-term investments.What is needed to ensure that the Ministry’s national policy reaches the hinterland with the same rigor as it does urban centres?The hinterland is not a watered-down version of the city. It has different languages, different social realities and different barriers. Any model that travels from Delhi to district school without cultural adaptation will not survive the last mile.National guidelines are an essential blueprint; But state education systems have to take ownership. India has placed education in the concurrent list precisely because it recognizes the diversity of contexts, social realities and languages ​​across the country. This principle is also necessary for the success of this policy.In our work in Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Assam, true contextualization means creative research, ongoing dialogue with teachers, students, and communities, and the flexibility to adapt universal principles of well-being to the unique reality of each state.Infrastructure and institutional arrangements may be common, but each state should have space to map its own well-being, set state-level indicators, and hold accountability with high-level committees. We are already doing this in these four states, and are in discussions to do so in additional states.It also extends to different school typologies. Residential schools, tribal schools and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) each have their own institutional arrangements and our experience shows that when a policy is adapted to these contexts rather than being implemented uniformly, it is far more effective in reaching marginalized girls and other students who need it most. The most vulnerable children are often found in these schools. A one-size-fits-all rollout will not reach them. There will be an episodic rollout.What InLight has demonstrated is that rigor does not require urban resources, it requires relevance. We look forward to working with the Ministry to ensure that this policy reaches every child, especially those who have historically been left behind by the system.
