Chandigarh: Amid the rollout of “Project SAATHI” by the UT administration and a Jan 2026 revision of affiliation norms by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), mandating full-time school counsellors, there is renewed focus on employment conditions of 90 counsellors working in Chandigarh’s govt schools.Project SAATHI, currently being implemented as a six-month pilot, is designed as a structured school-based intervention targeting students of classes VII, VIII, IX and XI. It includes daily 40-minute sessions, activities such as yoga, meditation and guided discussions, and training for teachers and counsellors to identify early signs of mental distress. Officials have described it as a step towards building a systematic response to issues such as anxiety and depression among students.However, documents, tender records and representations suggest that the institutional framework supporting this initiative remains questionable.Counsellors in Chandigarh’s govt schools continue to be engaged through outsourcing agencies and are paid for only 10 months in one year, with no wages in the summer, autumn and winter breaks. This has emerged as a key concern in the current system. A representation highlighting the issue has also been submitted by the Chandigarh Teachers Association, underlining its inconsistency with CBSE’s requirement of full-time counsellors.An official communication from the directorate of school education, dated Oct 2025, reinforces the administration’s position that outsourced employees are not entitled to wages during vacation periods, as their service conditions are governed by contractual provisions and “no counselling services are required” when schools are closed. The request for payment during these periods was declined.The outsourcing structure itself is defined through a formal tender mechanism. The tender document for engagement of counsellors specifies that the service provider acts as the employer and is responsible for payment of wages, compliance with labour laws, and statutory contributions such as EPF and ESI. At the same time, it provides that work allocation, supervision, duty charts and performance oversight are carried out by school authorities and the education department.This dual arrangement has led to operational ambiguities. While contractors are formally responsible for salaries and compliance, counsellors report that their day-to-day functioning, including assignments, schedules and grievance handling, is determined at the school level.Several counsellors, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have not been provided formal copies of their contracts. “We are informed through messages that the contract has been extended, but no document is shared,” one said. Another noted that despite working full school hours, their role often extends beyond counselling. “At times, we are assigned teaching duties depending on school requirements,” the counsellor said.Concerns have also been raised regarding payment timelines. According to the tender conditions, wages are to be disbursed by the 7th of each month and statutory compliance ensured within prescribed deadlines. Counsellors, however, report frequent delays, with salaries often credited after the 20th, with current cycle also being late.Past disputes have further complicated the situation. A previous outsourcing agency is alleged to have defaulted on EPF deposits for five months, a matter that remains under consideration with the education department. Counsellors indicate that issues with contractors have recurred over time, affecting continuity and trust.CTA legal adviser Arvind Rana has stated that binding CBSE norms regarding full-time counsellors must be implemented in practice and cannot be overridden by contractual arrangements. Director, school education Nitish Singla remained unavailable for comment.The situation underscores a broader policy question: As Chandigarh expands structured mental health interventions through initiatives like Project SAATHI, the alignment between programme design and employment conditions of counsellors remains a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of such efforts.BOX- Regulatory framework: What rules requireCBSE’s Jan 2026 revised affiliation norms reiterate that schools must appoint full-time counsellors (wellness teachers) to address students’ social and emotional needs. This is not a discretionary provision but part of mandatory school infrastructure. Parallelly, labour law-linked provisions referenced in the Chandigarh tender require that outsourced employees be paid at least minimum wages, with timely disbursal, and that statutory dues such as EPF, ESI, gratuity and other benefits be deposited regularly.BOX- Interpretation of the system Official communication from the directorate of school education states that counsellors, being outsourced employees, are governed by contractual terms under which wages are not admissible during summer, autumn and winter vacations, as schools remain closed and “no counselling services are required”. This interpretation effectively treats the role as need-based rather than continuous, despite CBSE’s framing of counsellors as full-time institutional staff.BOX- Question of accountability The outsourcing agreement creates a dual structure. The contractor is designated as the legal employer responsible for salary payments and statutory compliance, while operational control, including duty charts, supervision, performance assessment and day-to-day work allocation, rests with school authorities and the education department. Even grievance reporting and attendance verification are routed through schools. This split arrangement raises questions on accountability, particularly when delays in salary, non-payment during vacations or compliance gaps arise, as responsibility is divided between contractor obligations and administrative control.
