Fr Dr Vemedo Kezo & Prof Dr Zavise Rume
The Indian economic reforms of 1991 brought significant growth and development, with rapid urbanization and the expansion of multinational corporations in the service sectors and private enterprises. Along with these reforms came the mass media explosion and easy access to digital resources, creating opportunities for social connectivity and career designing beyond geographical limits. As economic reforms raised the standard of living and increased per-capita income, they also created competition in education and employment, leading to increased anxiety, stress, and a growing tendency to link personal identity with economic success and status.
The gen Zs face intense stress from competitive examinations, often driven by parental expectations that do not align with their interests, leading to career confusion and emotional strain. Further, the prolonged hours in virtual platforms weaken real-life interactions, contributing to frustration, isolation, and imbalanced emotional regulation.
In traditional agrarian societies, families had close ties with nature, which provided a supportive mechanism that naturally absorbed stress and fostered the healthy development of the children.
However, the modern nuclear family, often constrained by dual working parents, offers limited time and space for children’s growth. They are now hooked into the digital world, with little social interaction. This has a negative impact on their healthy personality development leading to suicide in some extreme cases. Of late, suicide cases are increasing. Therefore, this has to be addressed through a system whereby person with such tendencies can be dealt professionally.
While the state government has taken a wise decision in recommending and integrating counselling services within schools and the health sectors, there is an urgent need to regulate who is qualified to practice counselling psychology and provide therapeutic services. At present, no clear agency or government mechanism exists in Nagaland to streamline counselling psychology as a professional practice. Even at the national level, there is no comprehensive system to regulate, certify, or license individuals practising counselling beyond academia. the government of the day needs to take a wise step toward introducing counselling into the workplace and learning spaces.
From every realm of profession, the demand for counselling services has increased significantly, but, in India, only clinical and rehabilitation psychologists are legally regulated through the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). In contrast, counselling psychologists lack a unified licensing authority to grant formal recognition or legal mandate. Merely holding a counselling psychology degree is insufficient, as professional competence requires structured training, supervised practice, and adherence to ethical standards and quality assurance. There are mandatory licensing systems for some professions. For instance, a law graduate must clear the All-India Bar Examination (AIBE) conducted by the Bar Council of India; a university teacher must qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC); a school teacher must pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted by an academic authority of state or central government; and a medical graduate must register with a recognized medical council for practice.
The National Education Policy 2020 mandates integrating counselling and mental health services to support students’ overall development. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 also recognizes counselling as essential for holistic education, while the Right to Education Act 2009 ensures a safe, stress-free learning environment. Together, these policy frameworks highlight the critical need for structured, accessible, and regulated counselling services in schools.
A regulatory body with a formal licensing system would protect clients from unqualified practitioners and ensure accountability and ethical standards. In 2018, a professor from Yonsei University, South Korea, visited SCERT, Nagaland, and recommended introducing a formal licensing system for counselling, suggesting that Nagaland could become the first state in India to establish a regulatory framework for counselling. The professor also assured technical and professional support. However, this offer was not followed up notwithstanding the urgency for setting up such an agency.
If the Government of Nagaland establishes a regulatory body to oversee, standardize, and regulate counselling practitioners, and streamlines only qualified and competent professionals to practice counselling, it would ensure the safeguarding of clients’ well-being and strengthen the integrity of the counselling profession. This initiative could position Nagaland as a leader, helping to bridge the existing licensing gap in counselling psychology across the country.
Fr Dr Vemedo Kezo, Nagaland Association of Education
Prof Dr Zavise Rume, Director, International University, Nagaland & President, All Nagaland Counsellors’ Association
