4 months ago
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In a important argumentation betterment aimed astatine strengthening students' intelligence wellness and providing them with vocation guidance, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made the assignment of socio-emotional and vocation counsellors mandatory successful each affiliated schools.
For this, the nationalist acquisition committee amended Clause 2.4.12 of the CBSE Affiliation By-Laws, 2018, pursuing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed earlier the Rajasthan High Court successful July 2025 by Kota-based advocator Sujeet Swami and immoderate science experts.
The PIL plea highlighted rising intelligence wellness challenges among students, including world accent and deficiency of structured vocation guidance, and sought mandatory provisions for qualified counsellors and a azygous intelligence wellness enactment model successful schools.
During the proceeding successful September 2025, a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court sought responses and suggestions from the CBSE, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE), the University Grants Commission, and the State government. After considering the submissions, the CBSE introduced cardinal amendments done a circular connected January 19, 2026.
Under the revised provisions, the CBSE has added 2 caller sub-clauses. Clause 2.4.12.1 mandates that each CBSE schoolhouse name 1 regular Counselling and Wellness Teacher, oregon socio-emotional counsellor, for each 500 students. Clause 2.4.12.2 makes the assignment of a Career Counsellor compulsory.
Earlier, CBSE norms required the assignment of a full-time intelligence counsellor lone successful schools having much than 300 students successful Classes 9 to 12, portion smaller schools were permitted to prosecute part-time counsellors.
The acquisition committee has prescribed minimum eligibility criteria for these counsellors.
The Counselling and Wellness Teacher indispensable person a postgraduate oregon postgraduate grade successful Psychology oregon a postgraduate grade successful Social Work with specialisation successful intelligence wellness oregon counselling. They indispensable besides acquisition a mandatory 50-hour CBSE-recognised capacity-building programme.
Their responsibilities see pupil and genitor counselling, social-emotional learning, situation intervention, recognition of intelligence wellness concerns, sensitisation of teachers and parents, and maintaining confidentiality and ethical standards.
Hub schools
The CBSE has besides introduced flexibility for smaller schools done a Counselling Hub and Spoke School Model, nether which "Hub" schools mentor adjacent "Spoke" schools.
For vocation guidance, it has mandated a student-to-counsellor ratio of 1:500 for students of Classes 9 to 12.
The minimum qualification for a Career Counsellor includes a postgraduate oregon postgraduate grade successful disciplines specified arsenic Humanities, Science, Social Sciences, Management, Education oregon Technology.
According to Mr. Swami, who filed the PIL, the plea had sought amendments to code the intelligence wellness needs of students from superior to elder secondary levels. It had stressed the value of adept vocation guidance, peculiarly aft Class 10.
He noted that with the CBSE implementing the changes, they hold for akin reforms astatine RBSE-affiliated schools.
Advocate Amit Dadhich of the Rajasthan High Court welcomed the decision. He said representations had been made earlier the tribunal to make a structured intelligence wellness enactment strategy for assemblage and assemblage students successful Rajasthan, with affirmative outcomes expected soon.
