Monodarpan Yojana

With the onset of the pandemic, schools all over the world shut down almost immediately. And while this move was primarily to protect the children from the onslaught of the Covid-19 virus, the lockdowns had its own share of negative impact on the psyche of students globally.

Students, who were quite accustomed to their routines were instantly locked inside their houses, staring at their laptops, doing homework round the clock with very minimal physical activity involved. To make matters worse, they could not even socialize with their friends and share their concerns without having their parents or elders eavesdrop on conversations leading to embarrassment. This entire ordeal took a drastic toll on young minds worldwide, as they were not at all prepared for extended periods of isolation.

To tackle the negative impacts of lockdowns on young minds, the MHRD  launched the Manodarpan portal – psychological support to students.

What is the Manodarpan yojana about?

At the MHRD Manodarpan portal, there are tips for school students, teachers, and parents. Moreover, there are also tips involved for university or college students, faculty, and family members of these students so that they are better equipped to deal with the issues students may present.

In order to learn more about what the Manodarpan scheme offers, you can visit the official website and explore the information yourself: http://manodarpan.mhrd.gov.in/

Some of the tips mentioned on the Manodarpan website for school students and school teachers.

For students:

Family time	Use the opportunity to stay at home by getting to know your parents and siblings better. Play board games and/or get to know them a little more.
Make learning fun	This lockdown is the perfect chance to revolutionize learning. Learn new skills, indulge in chores, develop new habits, and support your siblings and parents in every capacity you can.
Help your friends	Meet your friends online and have chat room sessions with them. Revisit unclear concepts while you get a chance to meet them virtually and catch up with them.
Interactive classes	Support teachers by participating in classes actively and help them with technology at which they could probably be struggling with.

For Teachers:

Include life skills	Encourage children to engage in a positive talk, and orient their emotions to deal with the uncertainties these times offer.
Offer support and attention	Seek guidance from the principal/counsellor or special educators about a child with children with special needs and contact local medical authorities if need be. There will always be help available in these matters.
Make classes interactive	Engage children in more interactive tasks, and allow them to express their personal feelings once a while. Sideline content completion and enable them to learn skills more than just dry content.

This way, students can feel assured that they are being heard and acknowledged. This will help them form positive connections with people around them and have a better mindset to deal with the uncertainties of life. With this scheme in place, the government has made it vocal that not only does it concern itself with the economical welfare of the people but also the psychological welfare of the children who will be tomorrow’s citizens.