Signing you in

That is where the questions of happiness, loneliness and emotional well-being begin.

This is the question raised by former bureaucrat Divya Mittal, who studied at IIT Delhi, IIM Bangalore and later joined the IAS. In a post on X earlier this year that is making headlines now, she wrote, “IIT Delhi to IIM Bangalore to IAS. I got the best education my country had to offer. It taught me how to crack tough exams and manage big responsibilities. But it never taught me how to quiet my own mind or handle loneliness.”

Divya Mittal’s experience points to a gap that is often discussed only when a crisis occurs. Indian education has placed academic performance at the centre of student life, while mental health has largely remained outside the classroom.

The numbers show why this cannot remain a personal issue. According to the Mental Health First Aid India report cited in discussions on student mental health, 7.3 per cent of children and adolescents in India live with a mental health disorder.

The recent case at IIT Delhi has raised questions over the handling of such matters in India's premier institutes, where an MSc student died.

A similar case has emerged at IISc Bengaluru, where two students have taken their own lives within 15 days.

Yet most schools and colleges do not have systems strong enough to identify students who may be struggling before their problems become a crisis. Counselling facilities are uneven, with better access often available in urban private institutions.POLICIES EXIST, BUT THE GAP LIES IN IMPLEMENTATION

Government schools, rural institutions and many public colleges continue to face shortages of trained professionals and basic infrastructure.

The problem is not that India has no policy for this. The National Education Policy 2020 and UGC guidelines have placed greater emphasis on counselling and student well-being.

Initiatives such as Manodarpan were also introduced to provide mental health support. But having a guideline and implementing it are two different things.

A school cannot address student mental health simply by appointing a teacher as a counsellor or holding an awareness session once a year.

Students need someone they can approach, privacy when they speak and a system that can connect them to professional help when required.

This is where mental health education becomes important. Students should learn about emotions, stress, anxiety, failure and coping skills in the same way they learn other life skills.

Programmes developed by institutions such as NIMHANS have focused on emotional awareness and stress management, while state initiatives such as Kerala’s Unarv programme have attempted to bring mental health promotion into schools.

The larger challenge is changing what Indian education considers success. A student who gets a high rank but cannot handle loneliness is not necessarily failing, and a student who struggles academically is not necessarily without potential.

Divya Mittal’s experience does not suggest that IIT, IIM or the IAS failed to give her an education. It points to something they were never designed to provide. The question is whether the system should now change that.

Because if education prepares a student to solve difficult problems in the world but leaves them without the tools to understand their own mind, then perhaps the education is still incomplete.- EndsPublished By: Rishab ChauhanPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 14:52 ISTREAD | Divya Mittal, former UP-cadre officer, opens up on quitting IAS amid online buzz