Universities and higher educational institutions across the country will now have to take care of the physical, mental fitness and emotional health of the students. The High Level Committee of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has prepared the first guideline based on physical fitness, sports, student health, welfare, mental and emotional health under the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020.
It will be released to the states and universities on Wednesday. Sports will be a compulsory subject in universities and colleges from the coming academic session. In this, students will be connected with sports related activities. The special thing is that it will now be mandatory to have health experts in addition to physical and mental health counselors in higher educational institutions.
The High Level Committee of the University Grants Commission believes that during the global pandemic Corona, for the first time every person has paid attention to the need of emotional aspects apart from physical and mental fitness. However, the younger generation is still lost in the digital device. In such a situation, apart from physical and mental fitness, it is also important for the youth to pay attention to their emotional health. This was mentioned in the National Education Policy. It has been prepared on the basis of that.
Sports remains a compulsory subject in schools, but remains an option in higher educational institutions. This is also the basis for making these subjects compulsory, so that all students are involved in various activities during campus life. Experts believe that such activities, including sports, will help students to relieve stress including studies. Earlier in 2019, UGC had sent fitness plans to higher educational institutions. In this, it was made mandatory for everyone to have a sports period of one hour on the lines of schools. In this, the option of sports activity, yoga, cycling was given. In addition, there is an emphasis on fitness through dance, traditional disciplines. Sports events will be organized every three months.
Helping students to solve practical problems
The purpose of this guide line is to promote physical, sports activities and positive thinking among students. It is necessary for all the students to overcome stress, pressure and practical problems and to maintain a healthy mental state. Students remain under pressure due to other reasons including studies, this will help them. - Pro. M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman University Grants Commission
Student service center will have to be made
Student service centers will now have to be set up in all universities and colleges. Director or Dean level professor rank or physical teacher will be given the responsibility. Counseling will be done through online mode or over telephone. All this will work under single window system. Apart from this, students will be taught to help women and backward children of villages.
Pedestrian trucks have to be made
Pedestrian tracks will be made mandatory in the campuses of higher educational institutions. Its purpose is to inculcate the habit of walking in the campus instead of car for commuting from one department to another department, library, hostel etc. This will also promote fitness.
