New Delhi, Jan. 20 -- Schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will have to appoint two professional counsellors to ensure socio-emotional well-being of students as well as to provide them career guidance, the board announced in a circular on Monday, in a move that comes amid a surge in students suicide linked to academic pressure. In a circular, CBSE said its governing body has amended the board's affiliation bye-laws, replacing the provision that allowed a single counsellor and wellness teacher to handle all counselling duties. The board has mandated schools to maintain a 1:500 counsellor-to-students ratio. "Earlier, there was only one type of counsellor who handled both social-emotional issues and career guidance duties. Now, we have introduced two distinct roles - a 'Counselling & Wellness Teacher' and a 'Career Counsellor' - each with clearly defined educational qualifications," CBSE secretary Himanshu Gupta said. "The 1:500 counsellor-to-student ratio is in line with global standards and will allow schools to focus more effectively on students' well-being as well as provide guidance for career-related queries."...