NEW DELHI: As you step into the narrow lanes of Old Rajendra Nagar—Delhi’s busiest hub for UPSC aspirants—you can almost feel the weight of ambition pressing down. Towering coaching centre buildings line the streets, flanked by cramped PG accommodations and libraries that stay open until midnight. Here, thousands of students gather in groups, immersed in intense preparation for one of the country’s toughest exams. Stress and emotional breakdowns are not uncommon in this high-pressure environment. But amid the noise and anxiety, a quiet initiative has begun to make a difference: a small police facilitation booth that offers mental health support, providing a rare space of calm and care for students in this competitive hub.
The booth, which started just a month ago, sets aside a slot between 5 pm and 6 pm daily for free psycho-social counselling, helping students cope with stress, burnout and loneliness amid exam preparation.
DCP (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said, “We started this initiative a month ago with the help of counsellors and psychologists, and already see at least 2-3 students walking in every day. Our police officers visited libraries where students were hunched over, studying for hours, and our beat officers helped spread the word. Soon, both seniors and juniors began showing up. We also shared information through student WhatsApp groups. That’s how the message got around and more students started reaching out.”
Students who used the service, while speaking to TOI, highlighted the daily struggles, high coaching fees, poor food, rising rent, and isolation as some of the reasons for stress and meltdown.
Nishant, 23, a UPSC aspirant from Bihar, said: “There are multiple issues that students here deal with. Most of us either spend time in the library or return to cramped rooms to study. This is what our lives have become. Amid this, I found myself overthinking. These sessions gave me a new perspective and motivated me to work hard and stay optimistic. Therapy is usually very expensive, and that makes it out of reach for many of us.”
Another student, Umesh, 30, originally from Haryana, shared his story. “I come from a family of farmers and had a govt job, which I quit to prepare for the UPSC exams. I used to see high-ranking officers and understood the kind of change they could bring. I wanted to be a part of that system and contribute in my own way. But after unsuccessful attempts, I felt extremely stressed, like so many students do. Then I heard about the counselling booth and just walked in. That one hour made all the difference.”
Psychologists working at the booth, speaking to TOI, said how they have been witnessing first-hand the emotional and psychological toll that intense academic pressure takes on aspirants, especially in student hubs such as this. Dr Imran Noorani, senior consulting psychologist, working at the booth said, “Each day, one of us is at the booth providing psychotherapy, career guidance, support group sessions, and emotional support. We often see the darker side – students battling panic disorders, hyperventilation, self-harm and the overwhelming weight of stress. As many as 100 students have been through counselling at the booth and we hope to reach out to more.”
