Co-ordinator of the counselling centre Shashi Sharma with Magadh Mahila College students during the workshop on the campus in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Sept. 12: Young students often face trauma that prevents them from leading normal life and in most cases, the victims are girls. They cringe in their thoughts so much that they cannot even discuss their problems with their friends and sharing them with family members becomes tougher.

But a students’ counselling centre that started operations today would offer help to all such students of Magadh Mahila College.

The centre was inaugurated at the college last Saturday. Made up of a 37-member executive and advisory committee, comprising college lecturers, the principal, students from the college cabinet and renowned professionals, politicians, mediapersons and social activists, it would help students in more ways than one.

City superintendent of police (central) Shivdeep Lande, Justice (retired) Rajendra Prasad, member of Bihar State Human Rights Commission, MLA Usha Vidyarthi, Dr Alka Pandey, gynaecologist, PMCH, Dr Vinay Kumar, a psychiatrist, Dr Sudhanshu Singh, a dermatologist of PMCH, are members of the advisory committee.

Giving reasons for engaging people from different walks of life, the head of department of political science, Shashi Sharma, also the co-ordinator of the students’ counselling centre, said: “While the gynaecologist will help the students to understand the hormonal changes at their age and complications that might occur because of bad companionship, the skin specialist will help treat dermatological problems. We have taken people from administration like city SP (central) Shivdeep Lande so that he can take stringent action in cases of molestation and other legal assistance if needed. We hope this platform helps students deal with their different problems, both mental and physical,” said Sharma.

Sharma said the counselling centre would deal with academic and non-academic issues, including crisis intervention like academic difficulties, examination anxiety, career planning and feeling of loneliness. It will also deal with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, addictions, relationship counselling like marital, family and issues with friends. Eating disorder, persistent denial of food and legal awareness counselling will also be part of this counselling centre.

“If students need to discuss any of these matters, they may contact the co-ordinator, Shashi Sharma and the executive members at their centre directly. For this, they can call up the college numbers — 0612-2219454,6010553, college inquiry — 0612-2219356 or contact at the website — www.magadhmahilacollege.org. Counselling hours will be from 12.30pm-2.30pm from Monday to Friday, there will be open counselling every Saturday.

“I am happy that this students’ counselling centre has been started in our college. So for the students, this centre would be very helpful,” said college principal Dolly Sinha.