Now Reading: Student well-being in India drops sharply by senior classes
-
01
Student well-being in India drops sharply by senior classes
The proportion of Indian school students reporting high overall well-being has fallen from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12, according to the Student Well-Being Pulse Report 2025-26 by the…
The proportion of Indian school students reporting high overall well-being has fallen from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12, according to the Student Well-Being Pulse Report 2025-26 by the IC3 Institute. The study, based on responses from 8,515 students across India, also found that happiness dropped from 65% to 48%, confidence from 64% to 47%, and motivation from 64% to 49% between the same grades.
Anxiety, low energy, frustration, loneliness and sadness peaked among students in Grades 11 and 12, the report found. Negative emotions were significantly higher among girls than boys. While 52% of students said they believed therapy or counselling could be helpful, only 6% had approached a school counsellor and only 2% had sought help from a therapist. Around 55% of students said they slept for six hours or fewer each night, with the figure worsening in senior grades.
The report, conducted in collaboration with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, was released at the IC3 Movement conference in Mumbai on August 20. The findings highlight a widening gap between student pressures and the support they access.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both sources present near-identical wire-style reportage from the IC3 Institute study, yielding no meaningful stance difference. The framing in both outlets is neutral-report: each leads with the same headline statistic, 62% to 43% well-being drop, and covers the same secondary findings on happiness, confidence, motivation, negative emotions, and help-seeking behaviour. Hindustan Times gives slightly more space to the conference launch and quotes the IC3 founder, while The Hindu adds a gender gap detail and helpline numbers. Neither outlet inserts editorial judgement, omits uncomfortable data, or sides with any stakeholder. The uniform straight reporting means the key takeaway is the data itself: a measurable erosion of student well-being that correlates with academic progression. The next concrete step is for schools and policymakers to act on the report's recommendation to embed counselling into senior school curricula, though no specific timeline or announcement followed the August 2026 launch.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
