Exam Stress: Odisha Matric & Plus II Students Told To Dial 14416 & Seek Help

Bhubaneswar: Amid cases of alleged death by suicide due to exam stress in Odisha, the School and Mass Education department has urged students and parents to seek help by dialling helpline number 14416.

The helpline service ‘Tele MANAS’ has counsellors to alleviate the stress experienced by students, appearing for Class X and Plus II exams. Students can dial the number and get advice from experts on doubts pertaining to exam and stress management, SME official said.

On February 23, two students, appearing in the annual Plus-II and the matriculation (class 10) examinations, died allegedly by suicide due to examination pressure in Ganjam and Bhadrak districts.

Notably, Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative was launched by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in October 2022 with an aim to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.