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<p>India faces a profound mental health crisis, marked by the largest population in the world, a high prevalence of disorders and a severe shortage of qualified professionals. Recent policy initiatives, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Commission for allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act 2021, aim to reform psychology education to address these challenges. This article provides a critical analysis of India’s evolving psychology higher education landscape, focusing on the curricula proposed by the NCAHP and the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Although the NCAHP’s model curriculum for the B. Psy program represents a commendable step towards competency-based education, it faces implementation challenges related to restrictive entry requirements, regulatory ambiguities, and infrastructural demands. At the same time, the RCI’s introduction of a B.Sc. Clinical Psychology (Hons.) program, with its own professional title and scope of practice, creates further discord and potential jurisdictional overlaps with the NCAHP and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The article analyses these competing frameworks, their alignment with existing legislation and international standards, and their implications for standardising and regulating psychology professionals. It proposes recommendations for fostering synergy among regulatory bodies, clarifying professional roles, and enhancing the accessibility and quality of psychology education to build a robust mental health workforce. Strengthening psychology education and professional regulation is a national imperative and central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</p>

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Psychology education in India faces fragmented regulation and overlapping curricula

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月26日

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  • Chinchu C

摘要

India faces a profound mental health crisis, marked by the largest population in the world, a high prevalence of disorders and a severe shortage of qualified professionals. Recent policy initiatives, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Commission for allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act 2021, aim to reform psychology education to address these challenges. This article provides a critical analysis of India’s evolving psychology higher education landscape, focusing on the curricula proposed by the NCAHP and the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Although the NCAHP’s model curriculum for the B. Psy program represents a commendable step towards competency-based education, it faces implementation challenges related to restrictive entry requirements, regulatory ambiguities, and infrastructural demands. At the same time, the RCI’s introduction of a B.Sc. Clinical Psychology (Hons.) program, with its own professional title and scope of practice, creates further discord and potential jurisdictional overlaps with the NCAHP and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The article analyses these competing frameworks, their alignment with existing legislation and international standards, and their implications for standardising and regulating psychology professionals. It proposes recommendations for fostering synergy among regulatory bodies, clarifying professional roles, and enhancing the accessibility and quality of psychology education to build a robust mental health workforce. Strengthening psychology education and professional regulation is a national imperative and central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).