The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has amended its Affiliation Bye-Laws to make the appointment of socio-emotional (mental health) and career counsellors mandatory in all its affiliated schools across India.

Key Highlights:

Every CBSE school must now appoint a Counselling & Wellness Teacher (socio-emotional counsellor) and a Career Counsellor to support students’ mental well-being and career planning.

Schools are required to maintain a counsellor-to-student ratio of approximately 1:500.

Counsellors must meet minimum qualification criteria and undergo a CBSE-recognised training programme to ensure quality support.

To help smaller schools, CBSE introduced a “Counselling Hub & Spoke” model, allowing larger schools to mentor surrounding institutions.

This move aims to strengthen students’ emotional well-being, stress management, and structured career guidance as part of holistic education.