Student mental health: Chandigarh's Project Saathi expands

A pilot programme to create safe spaces and strengthen student mental health support in the Union Territory's government schools is drawing attention as educators grapple with rising stress among young people. Project Saathi, inaugurated in Chandigarh in January 2026, brings together the administration, educators and mental health professionals to build emotionally secure school environments. The initiative responds to what the city's top administrator has called a 'silent epidemic' of mental health challenges among children and youth. Project Saathi Chandigarh was inaugurated on 28 January 2026 by Gulab Chand Kataria, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. It is a collaborative effort of the Chandigarh Administration, the Department of School Education and the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation, with technical support from mental health experts at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), alongside teachers, counsellors and social workers — all working to improve student mental health in the Union Territory. The pilot focuses on government schools, with a holistic approach: sensitisation and training for teachers and principals, skill enhancement for counsellors, and the integration of yoga, meditation, sports, life-skills education and creative activities into school life. Regular wellness sessions and peer engagement activities are designed to reduce mental health stigma and create safe, supportive and emotionally secure environments where students can seek help early. ## Student mental health: a silent epidemic Addressing the launch, the Administrator said students today face pressures far beyond academics — emotional neglect, family stress, bullying, excessive screen exposure, peer pressure and academic anxiety — which often go unnoticed. He emphasised that social stigma, rather than a lack of facilities, remains the biggest barrier to seeking support, urging students and families to access professional help openly. Breaking down mental health stigma among students is central to the project, organisers said. Health experts say the framing matters: treating student mental health as a public health priority, rather than a private failing, is the first step to getting young people into care. ## How Project Saathi Chandigarh works The project creates safe spaces within schools where students can learn coping mechanisms and look after their physical well-being through activities including playful yoga, according to Chandigarh Citizens Foundation general secretary J M Balamurugan. A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and educators leads implementation, so students have comprehensive support inside their own learning environment, and the design puts student mental health at the centre of school life. School counselling is being strengthened through counsellor training, while teachers are being sensitised to spot early warning signs of distress before problems escalate. ## Student mental health beyond academics Organisers say the goal is to look beyond examination results and treat emotional development as part of education itself — Balamurugan said the project treats student mental health as inseparable from learning. If the pilot demonstrates positive outcomes in student well-being and behaviour, it will be expanded to more schools and colleges and could emerge as a national model for school mental healthcare, he added. For now, the focus is on making help-seeking normal: peer engagement activities and regular wellness sessions aim to build a school culture where talking about mental health carries no shame. ## School counselling in government schools The emphasis on government schools is deliberate. Students in these schools often have the least access to private mental health care, making school-based support their main safety net. By embedding school counselling, yoga and life-skills education into the school day, Project Saathi Chandigarh aims to reach students where they already are. Advocates say the model shows how Union Territories and states can act on student mental health without waiting for a crisis — and why tackling mental health stigma early may be the most cost-effective investment in student mental health of all.