Rajasthan launches mental health programme in 1,500 schools

Rajasthan has introduced a structured mental health and well-being programme in primary education with the launch of the ‘Khushishala’ initiative in around 1,500 Government schools.
Officials claimed that Rajasthan is the first State in the country to launch such a programme.

The programme, implemented by the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT), targets students from Classes 1 to 5 and focuses on their emotional well-being, social development and life skills through activity-based learning.

RSCERT Director Shweta Fagediya said the initiative also includes mental health and capacity-building training for teachers, enabling them to better understand and address the children’s emotional needs.
“Khushishala has made Rajasthan the first State in India to implement a mental health and well-being programme at the primary education level. The objective is to strengthen children’s emotional resilience and social-emotional skills while equipping teachers to better understand and support students’ emotional needs,” she said.

Under the programme, teachers undergo a three-day training module along with a 21-day audio-based course focusing on emotional awareness, stress recognition, relationship building and wellbeing. Special teacher handbooks and mobile-based resources have also been developed to facilitate classroom activities. She said the programme goes beyond teacher training and focuses on helping educators effectively  translate wellbeing concepts into age-appropriate classroom activities. According to education experts, teacher-led wellbeing programmes can improve classroom participation, social interaction and students’ ability to cope with challenges. Such interventions also help teachers identify and respond to the children’s emotional needs more effectively. 

“The pilot involved 120 teachers and recorded a 53 per cent improvement in socio-emotional skills among students. Among girls, the improvement reached 69 per cent. The findings also indicated stronger teacher-student relationships and greater emotional development among children,” she said.