If you are a principal or on a school management committee, you may have heard that CBSE has changed its rule on school counsellors. This page sets out what CBSE has published, what has been reported about the change, what you should check for your own school, and how Leshya can help you arrange counselling for students.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Please confirm your own obligations with CBSE and your legal adviser.
What CBSE has published
On 19 January 2026, CBSE issued Circular No. 02/2026, titled "Amendment in Clause 2.4.12 of CBSE Affiliation Bye-laws-2018 regarding appointment of Counselor & Wellness Teacher in CBSE schools". It is listed on the circulars page of SARAS, the CBSE affiliation portal.
Clause 2.4.12 is the part of the Affiliation Bye-laws that covers the counsellor and wellness teacher a school must appoint. The circular is the document to read for the exact new wording, and we recommend every school downloads it from saras.cbse.gov.in rather than relying on summaries, including this one.
What the earlier rule said
The bye-laws page on cbse.gov.in still shows the earlier text of Clause 2.4.12. Under it, every Secondary and Senior Secondary school had to appoint a counsellor and wellness teacher on a full-time basis, with a graduate or postgraduate degree in psychology, a postgraduate degree in child development, or a graduate or postgraduate degree with a diploma in career guidance and counselling. A school with fewer than 300 students in classes IX to XII could appoint the person part time.
What has been reported about the change
We could not open the circular itself, so the points below are as reported by ETV Bharat on 24 January 2026, not quoted from CBSE. Other reports differ in some details.
As reported, the amendment adds two sub-clauses. Clause 2.4.12.1 asks for a regular Counselling and Wellness Teacher, also called a socio-emotional counsellor, at about one for every 500 students. Clause 2.4.12.2 makes a Career Counsellor compulsory, at one for every 500 students in classes 9 to 12. The report says the Counselling and Wellness Teacher needs a graduate or postgraduate degree in psychology, or a postgraduate degree in social work with a focus on mental health or counselling, and must complete a 50-hour capacity-building programme recognised by CBSE. A Career Counsellor needs a graduate or postgraduate degree in a field such as humanities, science, social sciences, management, education or technology.
The report also mentions a Counselling Hub and Spoke School Model, where a hub school mentors nearby spoke schools, and mentions a public interest litigation on the issue in the Rajasthan High Court. It does not give a date by which schools must comply. Check the circular for the effective date and for how the ratios apply to your school.
What to check for your school
Start with numbers. Count your students, and separately your students in classes 9 to 12, since the reported ratios depend on them. Then look at who you have today: a counsellor, a career counsellor, or a teacher who does both, and whether each is full time or part time.
Next, compare each person's degree and training with the qualifications in the circular, and note any capacity-building programme they still need. Finally, ask CBSE or your legal adviser whether a part-time, shared or outside arrangement counts towards the rule in your case. The reported text speaks of a regular appointment, so an outside arrangement may add to a staff post rather than replace it.
How Leshya can help
Leshya does not make a school compliant, and the appointment decision is yours. What we can do is help you arrange counselling around it. Counsellors on Leshya who tell us they work with schools take on part-time school counselling, career counselling for students in classes 9 to 12, POCSO awareness sessions for teachers and staff, and workshops on topics such as stress and exam pressure.
This can support a school while it hires, add career counselling or workshops alongside a counsellor you already have, or give a teacher a clear person to refer a worried student to. A person reviews every counsellor profile before it goes live, and you can see the education and experience a counsellor lists on their profile before your school agrees to anything.
A person from Leshya plans the format with you, online or in person depending on what the counsellor offers. Scope and fees are agreed before anything starts. Individual counselling stays between the student and their counsellor, and Leshya does not tell the school who attended or what was discussed.
Other support for students
Manodarpan, from the Ministry of Education, offers advisories for principals, teachers, parents and students, a directory of counsellors and a national toll-free helpline for students on 844 844 0632. If a student is in crisis now, Tele MANAS, the national mental health helpline, is on 14416.
How to start
Open the For organizations page and choose "Tell us what you need". Say you are a CBSE school, how many students you have in all and in classes 9 to 12, and what you are looking for. A person at Leshya reads it, and a short call follows to scope it. Our guide on sending an organization inquiry shows each field.
If you're thinking about harming yourself, please talk to someone right now. Tele MANAS is free, confidential and always open: call 14416. You matter.
The counselors here can help with ongoing support, but right now a call is faster.
Common questions
It is a CBSE circular dated 19 January 2026 that amends Clause 2.4.12 of the CBSE Affiliation Bye-laws 2018, on appointing a counsellor and wellness teacher in CBSE schools. It is listed on the SARAS circulars page at saras.cbse.gov.in.
