Gurugram, Oct 28: BML Munjal University has launched its Wellness Centre, bringing together professional mental health support and a student-led Peer Wellbeing Mentor Programme. The initiative aims to make support more approachable by recognising that students adjusting to university life may first feel comfortable speaking with a fellow student.
Through the Peer Wellbeing Mentor Programme, trained senior students serve as approachable points of contact for juniors as they settle into university life, build friendships and explore new opportunities. Mentors foster a sense of belonging, encourage open conversations about wellbeing and help students connect with the Centre’s counselling and psychotherapy services whenever needed. The programme nurtures a culture of mutual care, making seeking support a natural part of campus life.
The programme is designed to encourage students to view seeking help as a sign of self-awareness rather than a source of stigma. By creating an accessible first point of contact among peers, the initiative aims to make it easier for students to seek support early and connect with professional help when required.
Speaking on the launch, Professor Shyam Menon, Vice Chancellor, BML Munjal University, said,
“At BMU, we believe wellbeing must be woven into the everyday university experience, rather than addressed only when a student is in crisis. The Wellness Centre brings together professional expertise and the strength of peer support to create that environment. By enabling students to look out for one another while ensuring that professional help is always within reach, we want to build a campus where seeking support is natural, early and free from stigma.”
The Centre was launched during World Mental Health Month in October, echoing the spirit of the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Mental Health Day theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”. At BMU, the Centre’s emphasis on listening to students and involving them through peer mentoring supports a campus culture where their voices help inform wellbeing initiatives. The approach brings student participation and professional expertise together to create inclusive spaces where students feel heard, valued and supported.
Rupa Murghai, Director, Wellness Centre, BML Munjal University, commented,
“Our priority is to create inclusive, accessible spaces where students feel heard, valued and supported, with their voices and lived experiences guiding our work. Wellbeing means embedding empathy, resilience and open dialogue into everyday campus life. Our Peer Wellbeing Mentor Programme puts this into practice by training students to support their peers, reduce stigma, build resilience and recognise early signs of distress, bridging the gap between self-care and professional support.”
Alongside individual support, the Wellness Centre conducts awareness programmes and workshops on mental health literacy, stress management, emotional regulation, healthy relationships, coping skills and the early recognition of warning signs. It also organises awareness sessions on the prevention of sexual harassment (POSH), supporting the University’s broader focus on safety, dignity and respect on campus.
The Wellness Centre is supported by a multidisciplinary team comprising Rupa Murghai, Director and Senior Psychologist; Rupal Arora, Psychologist and Counsellor; Pankaj Suneja, Psychotherapist; Aditi Agrawal, Assistant Manager; and Dr Vinay Saini, Visiting Psychiatrist.
It works closely with faculty mentors, wardens, student clubs, the Dean of Student Welfare, student leadership and, wherever appropriate, parents. This coordinated approach recognises the connections between academic pressures, relationships, adjustment to university life and emotional health, helping students find support through people and services they know.
