India, Dec. 22 -- The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) on Saturday issued comprehensive guidelines to private educational institutions to strengthen student mental health support systems.

Vinod Mohitkar, director, technical education, has directed all institutions offering professional courses to prioritise the mental well-being of students and put in place robust mechanisms to prevent psychological distress.

"Academic pressure, competitive environments and transitional phases in education require urgent and structured mental health interventions," he said.

According to the directives, all educational institutions must implement the provisions outlined in national suicide prevention policies and ensure that related information ...