Feeling overwhelmed?

Exam results and counselling season put a lot of pressure on students, and on parents too. That's normal, and it's also fine to talk to someone about it: these services are free, confidential, and don't require an appointment.

Tele-MANAS

India's national, government-run mental health helpline: free, confidential, available 24/7 across every state, in English and 20 regional languages including Kannada.

14416 or 1800-89-14416

iCALL (TISS)

Free telephone and email counselling from trained mental health professionals, run by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

022-2552-1111 (Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 10 PM)

Email: [email protected]

If it feels urgent

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call Tele-MANAS (14416) right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. You don't need to have the right words. Just say you need help.

A smaller thing that also helps

A rank, a cutoff, or a single counselling round is not a verdict on who you are or what you're capable of. It's genuinely common to feel like everything hinges on one number in the middle of this process. Talking to a parent, teacher, friend, or one of the services above can make that feeling more manageable, even before anything about the actual situation has changed.