As thousands of students settle into Panjab University (PU) hostels for the new academic session, the university is planning to strengthen its mental health support system, with hostels emerging as the focus of a new outreach initiative. The move comes against the backdrop of student suicide incidents and attempts reported over the past few years that have repeatedly raised concerns over the availability of psychological support on campus.

The proposal, discussed during a recent student welfare council meeting, includes regular counselling sessions in hostels, collaboration with the government of India’s Tele-MANAS programme, awareness drives and a greater role for hostel councillors in identifying students showing early signs of emotional distress. The emphasis, officials said, is on timely intervention rather than responding after a crisis.

In 2023, a student’s death by suicide in a university hostel triggered concerns over the lack of institutional mental health support. A suicide attempt inside Boys’ Hostel No. 3 in 2025 again brought the issue into focus. More recently, an LLB student died by suicide in a university hostel, renewing calls for accessible counselling services and proactive intervention.

Despite having a student population of around 15,000, the university currently has only two counsellors to cater to students’ psychological needs.

Dean, student welfare (Men), YK Rawal said the university wants to move from crisis response to prevention.

“Mental health is one of our priorities. We are planning regular counselling sessions in hostels and are working towards collaborating with the Tele-MANAS programme. We are planning to expand the number of the counselors so that students showing signs of stress or emotional distress can be identified early and guided to professional help,” Rawal said.

The proposed initiative is also in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which lays emphasis on students’ mental health, emotional well-being and holistic development.

Students welcomed the move, saying regular interaction with counsellors inside hostels could make professional help more accessible.

Pooja, a resident of girls’ hostel no. 4, said many students struggle to adjust after moving away from home for the first time.

“Most students hesitate to approach a counsellor on their own. If counsellors visit hostels regularly and interact with students, many will feel more comfortable discussing stress, anxiety or loneliness before the situation becomes serious,” she said.

Gurnoor Kaur, another PU student, said academic pressure, placements and personal issues often affect students silently.

“Students often keep their problems to themselves because they fear being judged. Regular counselling sessions can encourage students to seek help at the right time,” she said.

University officials said the proposed measures are expected to be rolled out during the ongoing academic session, with hostels remaining the first point of intervention in strengthening the university’s mental health support system.

Repeated calls were made to dean student welfare (women) Namita Gupta for her response on the counselling infrastructure in girls’ hostels. However, she did not respond till the time of filing this report.