Chandigarh, Nov. 12 -- 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. Under the evolving framework for mental health support in schools, such changes are 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 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 stageand ensuring timely intervention. Once a concern is noticed, the student can be referred to a counsellor or other appropriate support system for further assessment and intervention. 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. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) strengthened its counselling requirements through an amendment to its Affiliation ByLaws on January 19, 2026. Under it, 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. 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. CBSE followed this with a circular, dated February 20, 2026, on promoting mental health, wellness and social-emotional learning in schools. 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 While the UT education 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. With 111 government schools and 85 counsellors, not every school presently has a dedicated counsellor. "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. "We need more counsellors in schools as the number of students approaching us for support has increased significantly. Students today are much more aware of mental health and are increasingly open to discussing their concerns. They come to us with issues ranging from academic stress and anxiety to family concerns, peer-related problems and emotional difficulties. With a single counsellor handling a large number of students, it becomes difficult to interact regularly and give adequate individual attention to every child who may need support. More counsellors would help us reach students more effectively and identify concerns at an earlier stage", said a counsellor at GMHS, Sector 34. According to the UT education department, private schools generally have one or two counsellors. 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....