Is there a free mental health helpline for students in India?
Short answer
Yes. Tele-MANAS on 14416 is the Ministry of Health's national tele-mental health service — free, confidential, available 24 hours a day in multiple Indian languages, with no referral, fee, diagnosis or parental consent required. KIRAN on 1800-599-0019 is a second national helpline, and Childline on 1098 covers anyone under eighteen.
Verified · 5 cited sources
Tele-MANAS — 14416 — is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's National Tele Mental Health Programme, launched in October 2022. It is staffed by trained counsellors with escalation to mental health professionals, operates around the clock in multiple Indian languages, and had received over ten lakh calls within roughly two years of launch.
Nothing about a call touches your candidature, your admission, your college record or any employer. It is a confidential health service with no connection to any examining body or institution. The UGC has instructed higher education institutions and CBSE has instructed schools to display the number, precisely so that students know it exists.
KIRAN — 1800-599-0019 — is the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's helpline for distress, crisis and early intervention. Childline — 1098 — is for anyone under eighteen, including unsafe conditions in hostel or paying-guest accommodation.
Your institution should also have a counsellor. UGC and AICTE regulations require higher education institutions to provide student counselling, and CBSE requires counselling arrangements in schools. Ask the office directly; this is an entitlement, not a favour. District hospitals provide free psychiatric consultation in most districts under the District Mental Health Programme.
The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 matters here practically. It gives every person a right to access mental healthcare from services run or funded by the government, and it decriminalised attempted suicide — a person who attempts suicide is presumed to be under severe stress and is to receive care rather than prosecution. Seeking help after a crisis does not expose you to a criminal consequence.
The 2026 NEET-UG cancellation was followed by the deaths by suicide of at least a dozen aspirants, and of a nineteen-year-old candidate in Maharashtra after the June retest. If someone you know is in immediate danger, do not leave them alone, remove access to means, and call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Asking someone directly whether they are thinking about suicide does not plant the idea — it is one of the most consistently supported findings in prevention research.
- Tele-MANAS: 14416 — free, confidential, 24×7, multiple languages, no referral or parental consent
- KIRAN: 1800-599-0019. Childline for under-18s: 1098. Emergency: 112
- No call is reported to the NTA, your school, your college or an employer
- UGC and AICTE require institutions to provide student counselling — ask the office
- The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 decriminalised attempted suicide; help carries no criminal consequence
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Sources & provenance
Facts verified
- 1.Tele-MANAS — National Tele Mental Health Programme OfficialMinistry of Health and Family WelfareUsed for: The 14416 service, its availability, languages, confidentiality and launch date
- 2.Tele-MANAS helpline receives over 10 lakh calls since launch OfficialAll India Radio NewsUsed for: Launch in October 2022 and call volume
- 3.UGC direction on the mental health helpline OfficialAll India Radio NewsUsed for: Instruction to higher education institutions to publicise the helpline
- 4.Mental Healthcare Act 2017 LawGovernment of IndiaUsed for: Right to access government mental healthcare and the decriminalisation of attempted suicide
- 5.Childline India OfficialChildline India FoundationUsed for: The 1098 helpline for children in distress
Helpline numbers, availability and the statutory position under the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 come from the official sources cited and were correct on 3 August 2026. Counselling provision differs between institutions despite the regulatory requirement. The guidance on what to do if someone is in immediate danger reflects generally accepted suicide prevention practice, including the finding that asking directly about suicide does not increase risk, and is not a substitute for professional advice. If you are in distress, Tele-MANAS on 14416 is free, confidential and available now.
Facts on this page are taken from the sources listed above — Government of India ministries and departments, statutory authorities, regulators such as the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and TRAI, state governments and official statistical releases. Comparisons, judgments and "which option suits whom" conclusions are AI-assisted analysis written over those sources; they are marked in the text and listed as an AI-analysis entry in the sources, not attributed to any authority. Fees, slabs, limits and processing times change, often at the start of a financial year on 1 April; figures are current as of the review date shown and should be confirmed with the responsible department before you rely on them. A great deal of Indian administration is state administration — where a rule differs by state, this site says so.