Page 137 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Unit 11: Counseling: Concept, Need and Goals with Reference to India

also, counseling services were set up during 1965-66 with the help of a Fulbright Professor. But Notes
this did not succeed as the administration could not decide whether the counseling centre should
be placed in the Department of Education, or Psychology or Philosophy. The SNDT Women’s
University, Bombay, has appointed a dean of students and they are providing student personnel
services on a modest scale.
The overall picture of counseling in India is dismal as far as organized work and provision of
professional services are concerned. Much of what passes for counseling is of a doubtful nature
since few qualified personnel are available. The University of Baroda, St. Xavier’s College, Bombay,
and other such institutions claim to have offered courses for the training of counselors.

In 1961, the Allahabad University started a counseling centre for its students with
the assistance of the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI). The
reason for its failure, perhaps, was due to its dependence on professors from
American universities, research scholars and students who were brought to India
on the Fulbright Educational Programme.

The most important reason why the status of counseling in India is unenviable is the lack of
employment opportunities. Counseling is presumably done by teachers drawn from different
disciplines who do not have the knowledge, understanding, enthusiasm, responsibility or
commitment to render counseling. What usually passes as counseling service is a kind of student
service started by a few colleges whose principals and a few staff members perhaps have
participated in student sevice seminars organized in India and USA under the auspices of USEFI.
It is essential to recognize that student personnel services are not the same as counseling.
Counseling is psychotherapeutic assistance requiring academic preparation, professional training
and supervised internship. A few enterprising teachers who call themselves counselors have
been found to be staffing most of the guidance and counseling centres. As of present, there is no
legislation for the certification of counselors and guidance workers in India.
However, it is heartening to note that this scene is fast changing, with the several departments of
psychology at different universities coming of age. Some of them have been specializing in
counseling and offering postgraduate courses in the field.
It could be said that counseling has overcome the early teething troubles and is making steady
progress. This could be gleaned from the status of the professional bodies and the curricular
offerings alluded to above.
Two professional bodies in the field are the All India Vocational Guidance Association started in
1954 and the National Vocational and Educational Guidance Association started in 1967. The
former body has not been active since 1967-68. The latter organization is more homogeneous and
its membership is open to individuals with a master’s degree in psychology or education. This
body is reported to have an active membership of 60 life members and 300 ordinary members.

What is the present status of counseling in India ?

Self Assessment
3. Multiple Choice Questions :- Choose the correct option.
(i) The NCERT runs a .............diploma course for the guidance workers.
(a) One year (b) Two year (c) Three year (d) Fourth year

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 131