Growing up, I never heard terms like depression, anxiety, mental health; just the occasional ‘suicides’ reported in the news channels. I always thought that something must be wrong with youngsters who choose to take their lives, until I faced a similar situation in 2017 when I decided to take mine due to a spine injury that ended my career in the Armed Forces (National Defence Academy).

It wasn’t long before I went through Depression and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I found myself flailing in the ocean of helplessness and silence. Back in those days I thought I was the only one who was going through this, but when I looked around there were so many; some my age, some elder, but mostly younger.

I did some research only to find out that one student dies by suicide every hour in India, and one out of four students in 13-15 age group is depressed in India. India has the highest suicide rate among the ten South-East Asian Countries.

While there are a lot of conversations around mental health, breaking the stigma, and its importance among schoolchildren, the ground level reality is abysmal. Even the NEP 2020, and the Manodarpan Initiative by the Education Ministry has not addressed the issue sufficiently.

The ask of the petition is to incorporate Mandatory Mental Health Curriculum(non-graded) in all public and private schools.

What does a Mental Health Curriculum include?

• Understanding mental health and mental illness, the stigma of mental illness, information on specific mental illnesses, experiences of mental illness, seeking help and emotional support, the importance of positive mental health.
•  Social-Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Life Skills Training
• Parent(s) and Teacher(s) training.

The curriculum is not about adding more syllabus, but rather educating and sensitizing the students through dialogues, discussions, activities, feedbacks, exercises, skill training, etc. It’s high time that the trend of ‘observing’ a ‘mental health week/day’ in schools once a year changes to all-year round curriculum; or else it loses its effectiveness just like the sad state of ‘sex education’ in schools.

I urge you to sign this petition and play your part. The more people sign, the more momentum this campaign gains, increasing the chances of success. I cannot do this without you.

In support of this petition I just walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir (4000 kms)  which began on 16th November 2020 and ended on 20th April. In my journey I met various government officials, making pit stops at schools, local government bodies, private institutions, and social activists, getting petition signatures, spreading awareness and taking this cause forward with maximum intensity.

We cannot bring this request into fruition without all the forces working together recognizing that mental health education in schools is need of the hour.  

Sign my petition asking the Ministry of Education to incorporate Mandatory Mental Health Curriculum in Schools.

I need your help. Please sign this petition and ask everyone around you to do it too. Every signature matters; to us, and to the ones who are looking at us from the stars.

Let’s bring #mentalhealthinschools

Note - If you can help me out in any way, kindly reach out to me on Instagram - mustang_rranjan or email contactronitranjan@gmail.com