Phone facility is provided for students at Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) to call their parent/guardian and register grievance or ask help from a AI Chatbot.
| Photo Credit: Graphics: Subyendu Ganguly
To alleviate homesickness among students, the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) launched ‘Phone Mitra’—a telephone-based outreach programme for its residential students. ‘Phone Mitra’ allows students to connect with their parents as well as provides them a platform to voice their concerns and seek help. Phone Mitra will be soon implemented across the State in the 268 residential facilities. Each school or college will have 10-15 telephones as per strength of the students.
How it works?
Four students share a calling card, allowing unlimited calls to pre-registered numbers of parents or guardians. The fifth number in each of these cards is an AI-driven chatbot number for students to register their grievances, suggestions or even ask for help. The message is sent as an alert to the authority concerned or to the call centre set up at the society’s office. To prevent misuse, the telephones allow calls only to the registered numbers.
A psychological safety net
Through ‘Project Mitra’, students can access psychological support service from headmasters and teaching staff, trained as ‘mental health warriors.’ These professionals can identify emotional distress and help students achieve a safe mental space. The aim is to nurture emotional intelligence among students and prevent depression and in extreme cases, self harm.
According to TSWREIS Secretary V.S. Alagu Varshini said: “Many students, often far from home for the first time, struggle with homesickness in Gurukuls. With Phone Mitra, students can now speak to their parents whenever they feel the need. This isn’t just about technology, but about restoring connection, compassion and calming the young hearts, which creates a psychological safety net.”
The programme was launched at the Centres of Excellence for boys and girls at Gowlidoddi in the presence of Serilingampally legislator Arekapudi Gandhi, Ms. Alagu Varshini and Gurukul’s senior executive.
Published – April 14, 2025 09:18 pm IST