The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, has launched a five-day offline training programme under Project MATE (Mind Activation Through Education). The training began today, August 26, 2025, at AIIMS Delhi and will continue until August 30, 2025.
What is Project MATE?
Project MATE is an adolescent wellness initiative developed by AIIMS Delhi with the objective of strengthening student well-being. Built on the “MATE-5” framework, the programme is designed to enhance resilience, build coping strategies, and foster peer connectivity among school students.
The pilot phase of the programme is currently engaging 50 counselors and wellness teachers from CBSE-affiliated schools in the Delhi-NCR region.
Key Focus Areas of the Training
The five-day course is being facilitated by experts from psychiatry, psychology, and communication fields, making it a multidisciplinary approach to student wellness. The sessions cover a broad range of topics, including:
- The biopsychosocial model of health
- Importance of nutrition in mental and physical well-being
- Family and social roles in shaping resilience
- Coping with anxiety and stress management techniques
- Counseling approaches for school environments
- Digital well-being and responsible screen use
- Parental sensitisation to improve family support
- Impact assessment tools for wellness initiatives
- Developing peer support systems to promote connectivity among students
The programme aims to equip counselors with structured frameworks to address challenges such as stress, loneliness, and emotional disconnection faced by adolescents today.
Inaugural Session Insights
At the inauguration, officials from CBSE and AIIMS Delhi highlighted the importance of integrating education and health to build a holistic support system for students. They emphasized that adolescent mental health should be normalized as part of overall well-being rather than treated as an isolated issue.
Long-Term Goals of Project MATE
Through this collaboration, CBSE and AIIMS aim to provide school counselors with evidence-based tools to strengthen:
- Emotional resilience
- Conflict resolution
- Social connectedness
According to CBSE, the outcomes of this pilot training will be monitored through regular follow-ups. Based on the evaluation results, the programme may be scaled up for national implementation to benefit a wider student population across India.
Officials also noted that the initiative will strengthen the school counseling ecosystem, encourage early interventions for adolescent mental health, and foster a culture where mental health is seen as integral to student success.
The launch of Project MATE by CBSE and AIIMS Delhi represents a significant step toward prioritizing adolescent mental health in India. By training counselors and wellness teachers in structured frameworks of resilience, coping strategies, and peer support, the programme lays a foundation for healthier and more connected school environments. If scaled nationally, Project MATE could become a transformative model in integrating education, health, and emotional well-being for the next generation.
