Banaras Hindu University launches student well-being initiative

The Banaras Hindu University launched a ‘student well-being initiative’ for the students at the Institute of Science. The initiative will support the students in their pursuit of academic development as well as psychological, emotional, physical and mental well-being.

According to a press statement from BHU, vice-chancellor Prof Sudhir Kumar Jain formed a ten-member committee chaired by Prof Satyen Saha, department of chemistry, to carry out activities under the initiative.

The committee will help students navigate life challenges, resolve psychological concerns and develop a life-long orientation toward resilience and mental wellness through formal and informal means. It will develop strategies and implement activities to enhance physical and mental health and overall well-being of students who are in need of any kind of help or assistance.

The committee is also mandated to liaise with external and internal resource persons, facilitators or mentors for conducting workshops, talks, activities and events on various aspects of well-being. The members of the committee will make themselves available to the students when the need arises and help them access various services available at the university level.

The initiative has been launched for a period of one year initially. Dr Prashant Singh, department of botany, Dr Shruti Trivedi, department of chemistry, Dr Shikha Singh, department of geography, Dr Gulab Chand Gautam, department of geology, Dr Jayeeta Lahari, department of physics, Dr Mahaveer Panwar, department of statistics, Dr Vivek Laha, department of mathematics, Dr Amaresh Kumar Singh, department of zoology, and Dr Ankita Vaish, department of computer science are the members of the committee.

The vice-chancellor also appointed an advisory council to monitor and track activities of the life skills and well-being initiative. The advisory council chaired by Prof Madoolika Agrawal, department of botany, has Prof SM Singh, school of biotechnology, Prof Abhay Kr Singh, department of physics, Prof Rajeev Bhatla, department of geophysics, and Prof Madhu Gwaldas Tapadia, department of zoology as members of the advisory council.