Banaras Hindu University is setting benchmarks in terms of measures aimed at student growth and well-being. The university has implemented a comprehensive plan focusing on various aspects of the holistic development of its students. These include workshops and sessions for students as well as teachers in order to enable them to better understand various aspects of psychological well-being of students. The latest in this direction is a dedicated workshop for the policymakers or top academic administrators of the university. The first workshop took place on 19 Feb, 2024, Monday, with nearly 40 participants and had the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain himself in attendance along with Registrar Prof. Arun Kumar Singh, Directors of Institutes, Deans of Faculties, and other senior functionaries of the university.

Being conducted in association with Maanas, an organization working for transformation through psychological self-awareness, the ‘I Care’ workshop helps participants prepare to connect to self and others by way of developing higher consciousness towards their own psychological body. It helps them experience their own psychological processes in action and become aware of their own developmental history, both as individuals and that of the students. This enhanced awareness and sensitivity gets translated to an attitudinal shift in connecting with their students empathically. The sessions also help faculty members gain better understanding about the components of the psychological self, and how the psychological wellbeing could be compromised.

 During the workshop, attendees were involved in various activities, like performing a skit, or expressing before the audience the psychological state of youngsters from a specific time period, in order to enable them to understand the intricacies of how the youth think or process things. As the participants brain stormed and thought through various aspects, they also exchanged views on integrating the missing link of psychological literacy and self-awareness.

 Ms. Meenakshi Kirtane, Founder Director, Maanas, who took the sessions, said the workshop attempts to train top leaders of the institution to be aware and take action towards the psychological well-being at the individual level, for their students, as well as at the level of the institution. She added that a psychologically healthy institution will come up with initiatives, platforms, and opportunities for extending support and guidance to its students. “This can be achieved when we have our academic administrators well equipped with the required capabilities and awareness,” Ms. Kirtane added.

 Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain said that with changing times, the teacher-student dynamic has also experienced transformation. As society changes, so do the challenges and needs of students, hence, we also must adjust our ways to address the concerns of students and the way we play our part in nurturing students. This workshop addresses this very basic question, and I hope we at the BHU will be able to leverage this opportunity, added the Vice-Chancellor.