Why it matters

Marks do not tell the whole story. The data and India’s own guidelines say so too.

For educators who want to see the evidence before they decide: what is known about students’ wellbeing in India, what schools are now expected to do, and where Santulan fits. Every figure links to its source and is dated 16 October 2026.

See the balance story Jump to sources

Seven capabilities, one balance

When one capability goes unsupported, the whole beam tilts.

C1 · Body & Self-Regulation

May show up as

Low energy
Poor sleep
Frequent fatigue
Difficulty concentrating

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Better sleep
More energy
Improved focus
Healthier routines

Evidence it connects to

No direct evidence for this domain is cited here yet. See the overall figures above.

What guidelines ask of schools

UGC (Jan 2026) asks first-year students to get sessions on adjustment, self-regulation and stress management. UGC student wellbeing guidelines (SCC Online) (opens in new tab)

C2 · Emotional Capability

May show up as

Increased stress
Anxiety and low mood
Emotional outbursts
Difficulty coping with failure

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Stay calm in challenges
Manage emotions
Higher self-confidence
Bounce back from setbacks

Evidence it connects to

7.3% of 13–17-year-olds had a mental disorder in the 2015–16 National Mental Health Survey (about 9.8 million), reported again to the Lok Sabha in December 2025. National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 summary (opens in new tab)
14% of 15–24-year-olds in India said they feel depressed or have little interest in doing things; only 41% said seeking support is good, against a 21-country average of 83% (UNICEF and Gallup, 2021). UNICEF India report on COVID-19 and mental health (opens in new tab)

What guidelines ask of schools

CBSE (Aug 2025) asks schools to display Tele-MANAS 14416 and train counsellors to refer. CBSE Tele-MANAS circular (opens in new tab)
Supreme Court (Jul 2025): written protocols for immediate referral and prominently displayed helplines. Supreme Court order, 25 July 2025 (opens in new tab)

C3 · Relational & Social Capability

May show up as

Conflict with peers
Feelings of isolation
Weak communication
Difficulty working in teams

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Build positive friendships
Communicate better
Work effectively in teams
Feel a sense of belonging

Evidence it connects to

OECD’s 2023 survey measures “engaging with others” and collaboration (empathy, trust) in 10- and 15-year-olds, including Delhi, and links social and emotional skills to better life outcomes. OECD Social and Emotional Skills report (opens in new tab)

What guidelines ask of schools

Supreme Court (Jul 2025): confidential complaint mechanisms for harassment, ragging and bullying, with zero tolerance for retaliation. Supreme Court order, 25 July 2025 (opens in new tab)
CBSE’s counsellor manual lists interpersonal relationships, empathy and communication as social skills. CBSE School Counsellors Manual (opens in new tab)

C4 · Identity & Self-Concept

May show up as

Low self-esteem
Dependence on others’ approval
Fear of judgement
Confusion about who they are

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Stronger self-awareness
Positive self-image
Independent decisions
Be authentic and confident

Evidence it connects to

No direct evidence for this domain is cited here yet. See the overall figures above.

What guidelines ask of schools

Supreme Court (Jul 2025): staff trained to engage sensitively and without discrimination with vulnerable and marginalised students. Supreme Court order, 25 July 2025 (opens in new tab)
CBSE’s counsellor manual places self-awareness among thinking skills. CBSE School Counsellors Manual (opens in new tab)

C5 · Values, Purpose & Future Agency

May show up as

Lack of motivation
No clear direction
Poor decision making
Uncertainty about career and future

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Discover interests
Set meaningful goals
Make better choices
Stay motivated

Evidence it connects to

No direct evidence for this domain is cited here yet. See the overall figures above.

What guidelines ask of schools

Supreme Court (Jul 2025): regular, structured career counselling for students and parents by qualified counsellors. Supreme Court order, 25 July 2025 (opens in new tab)
NEP 2020 speaks of developing “core capacities and life skills” and a “holistic progress card”. NEP 2020 (MyGov) (opens in new tab)

C6 · Adaptability & Resilience

May show up as

Gives up easily
Difficulty handling change
Prolonged distress
Avoids challenges

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Handle challenges with confidence
Adapt to change
Learn from mistakes
Stay persistent

Evidence it connects to

Student suicides reported by NCRB rose from 8,032 in 2014 to 13,892 in 2023. These are counts, they do not show causes, and exam pressure is only one of many factors. NCRB 2023 figures (Careers360) (opens in new tab)

What guidelines ask of schools

Supreme Court (Jul 2025): avoid public shaming and disproportionate targets; review exam patterns to reduce academic burden. Supreme Court order, 25 July 2025 (opens in new tab)

C7 · Self-Directed Learning & Executive Capability

May show up as

Procrastination
Poor time management
Incomplete work
Inconsistent performance

Illustrative signs, not a diagnosis.

With structured support

Plan and organise
Stay focused
Take responsibility
Become an independent learner

Evidence it connects to

A meta-analysis of 213 school-based social and emotional learning programmes (270,034 students) found an 11-percentile-point gain in academic achievement (Durlak et al., 2011). Durlak et al. social and emotional learning meta-analysis (opens in new tab)
OECD’s 2023 survey links skills such as persistence, responsibility and self-control to academic success. OECD Social and Emotional Skills report (opens in new tab)

What guidelines ask of schools

WHO and UNESCO’s global standards ask classrooms to promote life skills and cognitive and socioemotional skills. UN News report (opens in new tab)

Mapping of data and guidelines to domains is Santulan’s own reading. It is not a finding of the sources, and none of them test Santulan. Where a domain has no direct evidence, we say so.

What the data says

Distress is real, help-seeking is low, and skill-building works.

13,892

student suicides reported in India in 2023, 8.1% of all suicides, the highest in the 10-year series.

NCRB, as reported by Careers360 (opens in new tab)

7.3%

of 13–17-year-olds had a mental disorder in the 2015–16 National Mental Health Survey, about 9.8 million adolescents in 12 states.

NIMHANS survey summary (opens in new tab)

14%

of India’s 15–24-year-olds feel depressed or have little interest in doing things; only 41% say seeking support is good.

UNICEF and Gallup, 2021 (opens in new tab)

+11 points

gain in academic achievement across 213 school-based social and emotional learning programmes with 270,034 students.

Durlak et al., Child Development, 2011 (opens in new tab)

Student suicides reported in India, 2014 to 2023

8,0322014

8,9342015

9,4782016

9,9052017

10,1592018

10,3352019

12,5262020

13,0892021

13,0442022

13,8922023

Counts, not rates. Population, schooling and reporting have all changed over the decade, so read this as direction, not cause. The 2022 share (7.6%) is confirmed by the Education Ministry’s reply; the 2023 count is as reported by Careers360 from NCRB’s 2023 report. NCRB 2023 figures (Careers360) (opens in new tab)

View the numbers as a table

Year	Student suicides reported
2014	8,032
2015	8,934
2016	9,478
2017	9,905
2018	10,159
2019	10,335
2020	12,526
2021	13,089
2022	13,044
2023	13,892

If a student may be in danger now

Contact local emergency services. Tele-MANAS is a free, confidential, 24x7 helpline: 14416 or 1800-891-4416. CBSE Tele-MANAS circular (opens in new tab)

What the data cannot tell us

It cannot show what causes any one student’s distress, and it does not show that Santulan reduces these figures. Santulan is at an early stage, and its own evidence status is stated plainly on the Resources page.

What schools are now expected to do

India’s guidance has moved from awareness to duty.

In India

Supreme Court of India25 Jul 2025

Binding guidelines for every educational institution

A qualified counsellor where there are 100 or more students, staff training twice a year, parent sensitisation, career counselling, confidential complaint channels and an annual anonymised report.

Sukdeb Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh (opens in new tab)

CBSE21 Aug 2025

Tele-MANAS in every CBSE school

Display helpline 14416 and 1800-891-4416, train counsellors and wellness coordinators to refer, and run peer-led awareness activities.

CBSE circular (opens in new tab)

UGC13 Jan 2026

Uniform mental health policy for higher education

A well-being centre and monitoring committee, one faculty mentor per 500 students, one peer supporter per 100, a 24x7 helpline and first-year workshops.

As reported by SCC Online (opens in new tab)

National Education Policy2020

Capacity beyond marks

Curriculum shaped around “cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages”, “core capacities and life skills” and a “holistic progress card”.

MyGov NEP 2020 page (opens in new tab)

CBSEManual

Manual to Empower School Counsellors

Groups life skills into social, emotional and thinking skills, and gives counsellors a role in follow-up and psychosocial first aid.

CBSE manual (opens in new tab)

Ministries of Education and HealthOngoing

MANODARPAN, DMHP and Tele-MANAS

Counselling helplines for students, district mental health services in 767 districts, and a national helpline.

Lok Sabha reply, 21 Jul 2025 (opens in new tab)

Around the world

World Health OrganizationUpdated Sep 2025

Adolescent mental health fact sheet

About 1 in 7 (14.3%) of 10–19-year-olds has a mental disorder.

WHO fact sheet (opens in new tab)

OECD26 Apr 2024

Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023

The largest international data collection on these skills in 10- and 15-year-olds, across 16 locations including Delhi.

OECD (opens in new tab)

Where Santulan fits

Santulan supports the duty. The school still owns it.

What is asked	How Santulan supports	Stays with the school
A qualified counsellor for 100 or more students; referral protocolsSupreme Court II, V	Santulan Counselling Management System: caseload, session notes, follow-ups and referrals	Appointing qualified staff and clinical care
Staff training twice a yearSupreme Court VI	Training for teachers and counsellors as needed, and the Santulan Teacher Capability Development Lab	Scheduling, certification and attendance
Sensitising parents to pressure and distressSupreme Court IX	A parent summary with a support note, and the Santulan Parent Capability Development Lab	Parents taking part
Structured career counsellingSupreme Court XII	The Values, Purpose and Future Agency domain shows readiness, not a prediction	Career counselling by qualified counsellors
Anonymised records and an annual reportSupreme Court X	Aggregated cohort views for leadership	Submitting reports to the regulator
Life and socio-emotional skills in school lifeNEP 2020, CBSE manual, WHO and UNESCO	A seven-domain framework, a personalised growth plan and the Santulan Student Capability Development Lab	Fitting practice into the timetable
Reducing exam pressure and public shamingSupreme Court IV, XI	Cohort patterns can inform the conversation. Santulan does not set exam policy	Exam patterns and school culture

What we claim, and what we don’t

Claims we make today. Claims that still need evidence.

Claim we may make today	Claim that needs pilot evidence
Indian students report meaningful wellbeing and school-life challenges.	Santulan improves a defined student outcome.
Supportive school relationships are associated with better outcomes.	Santulan changes school climate or belonging.
CBSE has counselling and wellness requirements.	Santulan makes a school legally compliant.
Developmental domains can be connected conceptually.	Santulan scores validly predict a child’s future.

Adapted from the research article Beyond Marks (PDF).

Sources

Every claim, opened and dated.

Bring this evidence to your leadership team.

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