New Delhi [India], July 24: In what could become one of the most defining moments in India’s education landscape, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta, today launched Project Manobal at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Shalimar Bagh Village, unveiling India’s First Mental Health Education Program for Government Schools.
Project Manobal is an initiative of the Ladli Foundation, powered by The Mind Sync, bringing together one of India’s most respected grassroots social organizations and the country’s First Mental Health Education curriculum program to make structured mental health education accessible to students studying in government schools and underserved communities.
Weekly sessions are delivered by trained psychologists and progress isn’t just hoped for, it’s tracked. Structured assessments and progress reports let schools follow each child’s social-emotional development growth the same way they’d track grades. Every child will receive a Project Manobal Kit comprising of grade-wise Mental Health Education curriculum books, activity worksheets, assessments, certificate upon completion and a stationary kit by Maped – A globally renowned brand known for its innovative, ergonomic stationery with precision.
Project Manobal also includes specialized teacher workshops that empower educators to identify emotional concerns early and build psychologically safe classrooms and a key component for senior students is the flagship MANN Workshop, where adolescents engage in immersive activities and live scenarios that help them understand themselves better and develop the emotional intelligence, resilience and emotional regulation skills needed not just to succeed in school, but to thrive beyond it.
Manas Dubey, Founder of The Mind Sync, stated:
“Imagine a government school where children learn not only mathematics and history, but also how to understand their emotions, build resilience, and develop emotional intelligence. That is the vision of Project Manobal-a structured mental health education program delivered by dedicated psychologists through interactive lessons, experiential activities, and personalized support, with one goal: emotional intelligence for each and every child. The partnership between Ladli Foundation and The Mind Sync creates a powerful model, opening the doors of emotional learning to children who have historically had little or no access to mental health support.”
Among the most groundbreaking features of the initiative is the introduction of the Manobal Lab – India’s First Emotional Intelligence Lab for schools. It’s an experiential emotional learning station for the mind. Kids don’t hear about emotions here; they walk through them: regulation zones, mindfulness experiences, hands-on neuroscience activities, reflection corners. It’s emotional learning you can touch, turning “know yourself” from a slogan into something you actually practice.
Ladli Foundation, under the visionary leadership of its Founder, Shri Devendra Kumar, has emerged as one of India’s leading social development organisations, driving impactful initiatives across education, women and girl child empowerment, digital inclusion, healthcare, livelihood development, and community welfare. A Padma Shri nominee, Shri Devendra Kumar has received national and international recognition for his work towards the empowerment of women and girls, including being invited by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, in recognition of his contributions. Under his leadership, the Foundation has established 250+ computer laboratories in Government Schools across Delhi, implemented AI-integrated smart toilets, smart classrooms, and STEM laboratories, and is actively promoting digital literacy and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) readiness among children from underserved communities. Building on this legacy of innovation and inclusive development, Project Manobal extends this vision by equipping children with the emotional intelligence, resilience, and life skills needed to succeed in school and beyond.
Powering this transformation is The Mind Sync – India’s first Mental Health Education Curriculum for schools, founded by Mr. Manas Dubey and Dr. Shivam Dubey, a Harvard trained psychiatrist. Built on the belief that mental health should be taught proactively rather than addressed only during crises, they pioneered a preventive, curriculum-based approach that integrates emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning (SEL) into everyday learning. Today, The Mind Sync is implemented across schools in India, positively impacting over one lakh students and 1,500+ teachers. Its structured, age-appropriate curriculum equips children with lifelong emotional competencies through engaging classroom experiences rooted in psychology, neuroscience and social-emotional learning (SEL).
As India confronts a silent student mental health epidemic affecting its children, Project Manobal marks a bold shift from reacting to mental health crises to preventing them through structured mental health education in schools, in alignment with the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for Viksit Bharat 2047- a fully developed, self-reliant, and prosperous nation. Instead of waiting for children to struggle before offering support, the program equips them with the emotional skills needed to navigate life with confidence, empathy and emotional intelligence from an early age.
If the twentieth century was defined by literacy, the twenty-first may well be defined by emotional intelligence. Project Manobal is the beginning of a movement that could transform mental health education in India and redefine how India raises, teaches and empowers its children. If the classrooms of the past prepared students for examinations, Project Manobal is preparing a generation for life, creating children who are not only academically capable, but emotionally intelligent, resilient, future-ready, and ready to lead with confidence and compassion.
If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at [email protected]. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.
