BENGALURU: Higher education institutions and universities across the nation have been asked to set up student counselling centres on campuses immediately. In an official circular, University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all higher education institutions and universities to set up student counselling centres and avail the help of psychologists. This, according to UGC, is for the safety of students at the time of cases like ragging or harassment.
“Setting up of counselling centres is part of the guidelines issued by UGC regarding safety of students on and off campuses of higher education institutions and has already been communicated to all institutions concerned. One of the most important components of the guidelines was that all higher education institutions should mandatorily place a students counselling system for effective redressal of problems and challenges faced by a student,” says the circular.
It further reads, “It should be a unique, interactive and target-oriented system, involving students, teachers and parents to address common student concerns ranging from anxiety, stress, fear of change and failure to homesickness and a slew of other academic worries. lt should bridge formal as well as communicative gaps between the students and the institution at large.”
UGC also stated that teacher counsellors trained to act as guardians of students at the college level should remain in close contact with them and cater to their emotional and intellectual needs. They must guide them to move up in their career at regular interval of time. Teacher counsellors have also been asked to interact with hostel wardens and collect personal details of students and their academic record.