The Indian parent is obsessed with making their kids doctors and engineers, betting everything on a “safe” career. But Chandrapur MBBS aspirant Anurag Borkar’s recent suicide raises the question: Just how safe can a profession be if your child feels trapped in it?

Ahead of World Mental Health Day 2025, here’s a closer look at why India’s teens are feeling more anxious, uncertain, and unheard than ever before

Student suicides in India have reached alarming levels, with over 13,800 cases reported in 2023, the highest in a decade, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report. Experts and educators stress that academic pressure, emotional stress, and lack of accessible counselling are key factors, highlighting the urgent need for supportive interventions in schools and homes.

While Tele-MANAS provides support, academic pressure, career uncertainty, and mental health challenges cannot be solved by one counsellor alone, writes Ganesh Kohli

War, trade disputes, shifting alliances, and contested borders — these are not just headlines. For millions of students around the world, they are lived realities, quietly influencing decisions about where to study, what careers to pursue, and how to imagine the future. At the IC3 Movement, we meet students who are trying to make sense of this complexity every day. As educators, parents, and counselors, we need to understand how global instability impacts young minds and how we can support them in finding agency and purpose despite the noise.

Around the world, young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Despite living in an era of rapid progress, digital connection, and expanding educational access, students today are more anxious, isolated, and overwhelmed than ever before. From academic pressure and identity struggles to climate anxiety and social media burnout, the emotional well-being of the youth is under strain. As the largest generation of young people in human history comes of age, how we respond to their inner struggles will determine the resilience, compassion, and sustainability of our shared global future.

How do students and counselors harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) differently in career and college guidance? 

Education is the foundation of progress, and career and college counseling is the bridge that connects students to their future. The global counseling community has long been committed to ensuring every student can access quality guidance. In 2025, this mission takes center stage in one of the world’s most dynamic cities—Mumbai.