SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Mar 14: The Ranchi University has begun MA in Counseling with a total of 14 students in its first batch this session. Along with this, the department also has a Post Graduate Department of Guidance and Counseling that began in 2019 with a total of 57 students in the first batch.
While talking about how the department decided to begin the courses, Dr M P Hassan, Director of Psychology department said, “We received large numbers of students, teachers and parents in the counseling cell since its inception. Within the first year itself, we received more than 100 cases which have even been recorded and documented by Dr Abha Ekka and Dr Shashi Kapoor Prasad. As per our bylaws, we had decided that we would never mention names of our patients, even in records. Instead, we would mention their age and gender along with the issues of said patients.”
“After this, we realized that there was a big need for counselors throughout the state, which we thought to fulfill by sending counselors trained by us to the people that cannot come to us for sessions. This was how we decided to start the Post Graduate Department of Guidance and Counseling, which began in 2019-2020,” the doctor added.
Explaining the demand for the course in the state, the director added, “I am positively sure that nearby states like Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh are some states that don’t have MA in Counseling in state universities. Students of these universities go far and wide for education, which can eventually get quite costly. However, at RU, students can complete the MA and even set up practice. They will not even need Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) registration for setting up clinics, as informed through an RTI letter from RCI to an activist, who had similar questions. They might not even need a PhD, as per rules by the central government.”
When enquired about issues faced during starting the course, Dr Hassan said, “The course is a self-financing scheme and even provides some amount for the Ranchi University. We charge around Rs 20,000 for General/OBC students and Rs 18,000 for SC/ST students per semester, which is both affordable and ample.”
The director further added, “The demand for counselors has been increasing since the pandemic as awareness for mental illness in states and even nations. Everyone, despite their age, gender and sexuality need counseling in this era of technology and fast lifestyle. As humans our emotions don’t evolve as fast as the technology in present times; we need time and communication which is scarce. This has increased the need for counseling. Keeping this in mind, the Central government has in its budget talked of creating 23 Mental Tele-Counseling Centers throughout the nation. I hope the state government also works for the same to help people in the state.”
