Lucknow: School of Management Sciences (SMS), Lucknow organized Principals’ Conclave–2026 on the theme “Mental Health and Well-being of Students and Educators: Creating a Supportive Ecosystem.” More than 200 Principals from Lucknow and neighboring districts participated in the programme.
The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. Thereafter, the Session Chair and Keynote Speaker, Dr. Rajeshwar Singh, MLA, Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow, addressed the gathering and stated that mental health has emerged as one of the most significant challenges of our times. Just as physical health is essential for life, mental health is equally important. Mental illness is not confined to a single form; rather, it manifests at multiple levels and under diverse circumstances.
The Chief Guest, Jai Shankar Mishra, IAS (Retd.), Chancellor, Sushant University, Gurugram, Haryana, in his address emphasized that challenges related to students’ mental health are rapidly increasing, which is a matter of serious concern for the education sector. He noted that intense competition at the entry level of technical and management institutions, rigid academic structures, fear of failure, career-related uncertainty, excessive use of digital media, and constant comp4arison driven by social media are having a profound impact on students’ mental well-being. Citing data from the World Health Organization, he stated that globally, one in seven young people is affected by some form of mental health issue, with anxiety and depression being the most common. These issues must be addressed to build a healthy society.
The Guest of Honour, Dr. Dharmendra Singh, Director, Orthopedics, Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, highlighted that the overall health of learners is crucial; only then can they acquire new technologies and disciplines and contribute meaningfully to society.
Eminent intellectuals from various fields participated in the programme and enriched it with their insights. These included Dr. Anand K. Sinha, Secretary, Association of Knowledge Workers, Lucknow; A.K. Mathur, Senior Vice President, Lucknow Management Association; Dr. Amrita Das, Founder Director, ICS, and Chairperson & Managing Director, ICS Education Limited; Lt. Col. Sachin Chamoli, Principal, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey U.P. Sainik School, Lucknow; Prof. Beena Rai, Principal, Awadh Girls P.G. College, Lucknow; Dr. K.K. Shukla, Principal, J.N.P.G. College; Dr. Prerna Mitra, Principal, G.D. Goenka Public School, Lucknow; Pooja Lamba, Principal, James School of Excellence, Lucknow; Mrs. Kusum Batra, Principal, SKD Academy, Vrindavan, Lucknow; and the Guest Speaker, Dr. Pranjali Saxena, Associate Director, Pediatrics (Neuro-Developmental Pediatrics), Medanta Hospital, Lucknow.
Sharad Singh, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, SMS Lucknow of the institution, stated that the institution consistently emphasizes minimizing academic and teaching-related stress among students and educators. To this end, SMS regularly organizes workshops, seminars, and competitions to ensure healthy coordination between students and teachers and to help them experience minimal pressure.
During the event, Dr. Ashish Bhatnagar, Director; Dr. Bharat Raj Singh, Director General (Technical); Dr. Jagdish Singh, Director (Administration); Dr. Dharmendra Singh, Associate Director and Programme Chair; Dr. P.K. Singh, Dean, Student Welfare; Shri Surendra Shrivastava, Chief General Manager (Corporate Relations) and Programme Vice Chair; Pankaj Kumar Yadav, Programme Convener; Aditya Pratap Singh, Programme Co-Convener, and all the faculties and staff were present.
