Bhubaneswar: Keeping the Matric Board Exam 2024 starting from February 20 in mind, Odisha School and Mass Education Education Department has urged District Education Officers to display the Tele-MANAS Toll-free number 14416 extensively across the districts.
The department has advised education officers to display the number in schools as well. Students under stress can call on the number and talk to a counsellor, sources said.
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had on World Mental Health Day in October 2022 launched the Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) to provide comprehensive mental healthcare service to people all over the country and especially in remote areas.
The toll-free helpline number 14416 is available round the clock and once the caller selects the language, it is redirected to the Tele-MANAS cell in their respective state and union territory.
Educationists in the state, however, differ in their opinion about the toll-free number. While some believe that the call centre will help alleviate the students’ stress, others believe that there is no need for such an arrangement. The students’ anxiety can be best addressed by their parents.
