UGC Guidelines on Uniform Policy on Mental Health and Well-Being for Higher educational institutions (Circulated by UGC on 13th January 2026)

• Guidelines

To build a robust Mental Health Ecosystem in Higher educational Institutes (HEIs), aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 3 of the United Nations (to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), a uniform mental health framework across all the HEIs is essential. This policy is designed to prioritize student and faculty well-being as a key pillar of quality education and institutional excellence to achieve holistic development through a uniform mental health framework across all the HEIs.

The following are the objectives of the guidelines:

• Build a sustainable ecosystem of psycho-social support that integrates promotion, prevention, early detection, intervention, for an inclusive and empathetic environment.
• Ensure translation of guidelines into practice via evidence-based interventions and measurable outcomes across HEIs.
• Establish a dedicated Mental Health & Well-being Centre (MHWBC) and Mental Health & Well-being Monitoring Committee to create pathways for early identification of issues and concerns for timely management.
• To sensitize students, faculty and staff for effective promotion of mental health and well-being through awareness, advocacy and well-structured capacity building programmes.
• To ensure sustainable family-institution partnership to provide psychosocial support and establish mechanisms for linkages with the community referral services
• To develop a structured accountability via monitoring, compliance, and annual reporting

In essence, the guidelines aim to shift universities from a reactive stance to a proactive, preventive, and participatory mental health approach.

Members of the Mental Health and Wellness Committee (MH & WC):