New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched the first phase of its annual free psycho-social counselling services for class X and XII students. Beginning Jan 6 and continuing until June 1, the drive will focus on students’ mental and emotional well-being ahead of the board examinations. The initiative aims to help students manage exam-related stress and emotional challenges, preparing them to approach their theory exams from Feb 17 with confidence and mental clarity. A key feature of the programme is the 24×7 toll-free interactive voice response system (1800-11-8004), available in Hindi and English. The system offers guidance on time and stress management, responses to common queries, and key CBSE contact details. CBSE has also launched tele-counselling services operating from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday. A panel of 73 professionals, including principals, counsellors, special educators and psychologists, will interact with students and parents. Of them, 61 counsellors are based in India and 12 abroad, in Nepal, Japan, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, providing a diverse and widespread support network. Additionally, it has curated digital resources on stress management, study strategies and emotional well-being, accessible on its website. Designed to be concise, engaging and easily usable, these resources complement the counselling services.
