Keeping the safety of children in mind, Delhi High Court has asked Delhi government to treat as a representation a plea seeking directions to provide “online mindfulness classes” to all government and private school students to release stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.
A division bench of Justice JR Midha and Justice Brijesh Sethi disposed of the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and State governments for providing online mindfulness classes for meditation, yoga, and relaxation to the students.
The High Court also directed the government to take decisions within four weeks and further communicate it to the petitioners within two weeks what decision has been taken on the same.
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The plea, moved by advocates Anshul Bajaj and Sonali Tiwary, submitted that the outbreak of coronavirus, which had led to a nationwide lockdown, has given rise to many mental health issues.
The plea said that a sense of confinement that has settled in people’s minds, more particularly among students, is giving rise to a series of mental health issues.
It also said that anxiety, frustration, panic attacks, loss or sudden increase of appetite, insomnia, depression, mood swings, delusions, fear, and suicidal tendencies, have become quite common during the lockdown.
