Delhi’s proposed mental health policy for educational institutions will extend responsibility for student wellbeing beyond teachers to school employees and transport staff, with psychometric assessments proposed for personnel who work with children.
Education Minister Ashish Sood reviewed the policy, which the Delhi government is preparing to introduce across the capital’s education system. The proposal places children’s emotional wellbeing alongside classroom learning and examination performance, and is intended to create environments where students feel safe discussing their feelings.
The policy is proposed to cover CM Shri Schools, government and aided schools, private educational institutions and higher education institutions. Children with special needs are also included in its proposed scope. The government has further proposed reaching young people outside the formal education system, including those up to 25 years of age.
Under the plan, teachers, other school employees and personnel associated with student transport will be included in psychometric assessment provisions. This approach treats student safety and mental wellbeing as responsibilities shared across the wider school system rather than confined to classroom instruction.
The government is also preparing special handbooks for employees who work with children. According to the report, these handbooks will contain questions, practical exercises and activities intended to help staff understand children’s emotional needs and communicate with them responsibly.
Reviewing the proposed policy, Sood said the purpose of education should not be limited to classrooms, books and examination results. He said every child should have an environment in which they feel secure and can share emotions without fear. He also said conversations about mental health should begin before a crisis occurs.
The proposed policy comes as Delhi seeks to define mental wellbeing as part of the routine functioning of educational institutions. Its stated coverage of school staff, transport personnel, higher education and young people outside formal education gives it a broader institutional reach than a programme focused only on counselling inside schools.
The Delhi government is scheduled to launch the policy on 19 November 2026 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the presence of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The launch is the next stated milestone for the proposal, although the supplied report does not specify the final assessment process, implementation schedule or institutional oversight arrangements.
