India’s Higher Education Institutions Unite for Student Well-being

2nd National Well-being Conclave Held at IIT Bombay on 22-23 November 2025

Adolescents and youth form a central part of India’s demographic dividend, yet their coping capacity is increasingly challenged by academic demands, social isolation, and digital influences. The National Education Policy 2020, the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2021, and later guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Education have collectively emphasised the need for counselling support, inclusive campus environments, and clear accountability mechanisms.

Mental well-being is viewed as both a social and economic priority, reflected in the Economic Surveys of 2023-24 and 2024-25, which note that a healthy student community is crucial for maintaining national productivity.

2nd National Well-being Conclave

The 2nd National well-being conclave concluded at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on 22-23 November 2025. Organised in partnership with the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, the event brought together around 80 Higher Education Institutions, 115 faculty members, and 139 students. The conclave advanced efforts to integrate mental health, resilience, and well-being into higher education systems, building on the first conclave held at IIT Hyderabad in 2024.

The programme opened with an inaugural session at the convocation hall that included the felicitation of dignitaries and a lamp-lighting ceremony. Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, addressed participants, followed by remarks from Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay, and Prof. Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu, who highlighted the need to institutionalise student mental well-being. The session also featured the release of the “Compendium of emerging best practices of well-being across the country 2.0”, which captures models that can be adopted by institutions nationwide.

Day 1 included a wellness exhibition, symposiums, and panel discussions on counselling systems, peer mentoring structures, digital well-being resources, and institutional responsibilities in supporting student well-being. The symposium on “The future of well-being in Indian Higher Education” explored how institutional roles are evolving, while the panel on “Thriving minds: From academic growth to lifelong well-being” focused on integrating emotional resilience into academic and personal development.

Afternoon sessions covered:

Policy frameworks for well-being: From National guidelines to campus implementation

Early identification and intervention of psychosocial concerns

Collaborative mental health frameworks

Experts discussed the need for proactive institutional systems, early intervention mechanisms, and collaboration among institutions to create lasting impact, reinforce support structures, and embed well-being into academic environments.

Day 2 opened with a campus walkathon highlighting the connection between physical and mental health. Students and faculty then participated in workshops on life skills, peer support, counselling skills, and digital well-being. Later, student groups presented innovative well-being initiatives.

The conclave ended with a valedictory ceremony chaired by Ms. Rina Sonowal Kouli, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. The final recommendations and the Inter-University action plan for 2025-26 were announced, setting the stage for coordinated well-being initiatives across Higher Education Institutions.

The 2nd National well-being conclave brought together multiple national efforts to support student and faculty well-being and strengthened the base for a professional community among faculty engaged in well-being initiatives. By establishing a detailed action plan for 2025-26, the conclave reaffirmed the commitment to building an inclusive, resilient, and accountable academic framework that places mental well-being at the centre of higher education reforms in India.

Key Outcomes of the 1st National Well-being Conclave (2024)

The inaugural conclave, held at IIT Hyderabad on 9-10 November 2024, gathered 350 participants from 100 institutions and underscored well-being as a shared responsibility. Its key recommendations included establishing professional counselling systems, ensuring student participation, promoting faculty and staff well-being, and collaborating with external experts. These recommendations have informed institutional changes and align with the Supreme Court’s 15-point guidelines issued in July 2025.

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