Help and support

Using SOS in the app

Alert your campus responders. For immediate emergency services, call 112.

1. Tap “SOS · I need urgent help” at the top of Home. Parents see “SOS · My child needs urgent help”.
2. Optional. A few words or a voice message help responders.
3. Students: the app finds your location when SOS opens. Your location is sent with your SOS so responders can reach you faster. Shared with the staff handling your SOS when you send it. Tap “Don't send my location” to send SOS without it. If location is not allowed or is switched off, the app says “Location helps us reach you faster. Please allow location for SIDHARTHAN. You can still send SOS without it.” and offers a button to allow it or open your phone’s location settings.
4. Parents add a building, hostel or landmark instead; a parent’s own location is never sent.
5. Send SOS. If your location is still being found, the app waits a few seconds and then sends without it. The app shows a request ID and whom the alert was sent to.

• Your Institution Head can turn the SOS button off. The app then says “SOS is disabled by your institution. If you are in danger right now, call 112.”
• SOS can be sent only a limited number of times in 24 hours from one account or one phone. After that the app says “You have reached the SOS limit for the last 24 hours.” and when you can send SOS again.
• Call 112 for emergency services stays on the SOS screen in every case.

SOS saved. Staff alerts have been requested. This does not confirm that someone has seen it.

How SOS works

Who can use SIDHARTHAN

Students and their parents or guardians use the SIDHARTHAN mobile app. Staff and responders use the staff side of the app and the staff workspace on this website.

Accounts are not created on this website or in the app. Your institution enrols students, links parents or guardians to their children and gives staff access.

Getting the app

Students and parents sign in and use SIDHARTHAN through the mobile app. There is no student or parent sign-in on this website.

The Google Play and App Store listings are not published yet. Download links will appear on this website when they are. Until then, ask your institution about access to the app.

Get the app

Signing in to the app

Signing in here ends your previous login.

1. Open the app and choose Student / Parent.
2. Enter your registered mobile number and request a sign-in code.
3. The app shows “If this number is set up to sign in to SIDHARTHAN, a 6-digit code is on its way by SMS.” Enter that code to continue.

See the sign-in steps

If you cannot sign in

Your institution sets up your access to the app. If you need an account or your registered mobile number has changed, contact your institution.

Messages the app may show, each with what to do:

• No SMS after 2 minutes? If the number is right, please ask your institution to add or check it.
• This mobile number is not set up to sign in to SIDHARTHAN. Please ask your institution to add or check it.
• This number is registered for staff. Choose Staff, then tap Request sign-in code.
• This number is registered for a student or parent. Choose Student / Parent, then tap Request sign-in code.
• Your student or parent access is not active. Please ask your institution to check it.
• That code is not right. Check the newest SMS and try again.
• This code has expired. Please ask for a new code.
• This code was entered wrongly too many times. Ask for a new code.
• Too many sign-in attempts. Please wait until the time shown, then try again. The app shows the time you can try again. After too many sign-in attempts, the wait is at most 15 minutes.

Reporting ragging

Choose “Report Ragging” on Home. A report can be about you, a friend or another student, something you witnessed or someone else.

Then choose every type that happened. These types follow the UGC anti-ragging rules. Each one is explained in a line.

Physical harm

Hitting, pushing, beating or anything else that hurts the body.

Sexual harassment

Unwanted touching, sexual comments or gestures, stripping, or being made to do obscene acts.

Insults, threats or teasing

Mocking, rude or abusive words, threats, or shaming someone to scare or hurt them.

Forced to do things

Made to do embarrassing acts, errands or someone else’s academic work, or kept from class or study.

Money or belongings taken

Made to pay, buy things for others, or hand over money or belongings.

Targeted for who they are

Picked on or left out because of caste, religion, gender, region, language, looks or family background.

Ragging online

Any of these through messages, calls, social media, or photos shared without consent.

Others

Any other kind of ragging not listed above. Your description of what happened tells the committee more.

Reporting drug abuse

Choose “Report Drugs” on Home, then pick what fits:

I need help with my own use

Confidential care and guidance, without judgement. This goes to your institution’s care team.

I am worried about a friend

Get support to help someone you care about. This goes to your institution’s care team.

Someone is selling or pushing drugs

Selling, supplying, or pressuring or forcing someone to use. This is handled as a concern report by your institution.

Someone is using drugs or is in danger

Using, carrying or hiding drugs, or an overdose. This is handled as a concern report by your institution.

Drug-related types you can choose

After you pick your concern, the app shows only the types that fit it. Help with your own or a friend’s use offers drug use, alcohol and other substances; supply or pressure offers selling and being forced to use; another safety concern offers use, alcohol, carrying drugs, overdose and something else.

Drug use

Taking ganja, pills, powders or other drugs.

Alcohol

Drinking that is causing harm, or drinking on campus or in the hostel.

Other substances

Tobacco, vaping, sniffing glue or solvents, or medicines not prescribed.

Selling or supplying

Selling, sharing or bringing drugs to campus or the hostel.

Forced to use

Someone is made, dared or pressured to take drugs or alcohol.

Carrying or hiding drugs

Drugs kept in a bag, room, locker or vehicle.

Overdose or collapse

Someone is unconscious, confused or very unwell after taking something.

Something else

Any other drug or alcohol worry.

Telling us what happened

• Write in your own words, or record your voice.
• Voice messages: Record up to 2 minutes. Listen before adding.
• Attachments: Optional · Photo, PDF, audio or MP4 video. Up to 2 MB per file. You can add up to three files; a voice recording counts as one.
• Share only what you know. Do not guess names.

In immediate danger, move to safety if possible and contact emergency services directly. This report does not call emergency services or guarantee a response.

How your identity is handled

The service knows who submits the report. Hide my identity keeps it off usual review screens.

Before you send a report you choose one of:

Hide my identity

Hidden from usual review screens. This is the default.

Ready to share my identity

Reviewers may see who you are

After you send a report

The confirmation screen shows your request ID. Quote this request ID when you contact your institution.

Your institution should review your concern and record its first response within 24 hours of receiving it.

Follow its progress, messages and any decision in My Requests.

What happens after you report

My Requests and your secret PIN

Follow your requests, replies and next steps. Every report, SOS and support request you send appears here.

1. Open My Requests. The first time, set a four-digit secret PIN. Choose four digits for your private requests. This is separate from your sign-in code.
2. Next time, enter your PIN to see your requests.
3. The app shows “Unlocked until” and the time. My Requests locks again after 10 minutes, or when you leave My Requests.

Where your request is

This is the time for the team to address your request and record its next steps. It may take longer to fully resolve the concern.

Each request shows who is handling it

• With your institution
• With university review
• With district review
• With state oversight
• With your care team

How a concern moves forward

Adding an update and sending messages

• Add an update: Add something you missed or tell the team what has changed. Your original request stays as you sent it.
• Messages & files: Messages with your support team.

Appealing a decision

If a ragging or drug abuse report is closed and you are not happy with the outcome: You can appeal. Your request opens again and the committee records its remarks.

Open the closed request in My Requests and choose “Appeal this decision”. A request can be appealed up to three times.

If you forget your PIN

Need help with your PIN? Contact your university. Only an authorised university officer can arrange a reset.

Asking for counselling

1. Choose “Talk to a counsellor” on Home.
2. Pick what you would like help with. Choose all that fit. You can talk through the details with your counsellor.
3. Say how you would like support (a reply in the app, a phone call, in-person counselling or a scheduled session) and a preferred time.
4. Review and send your request.

Studies and exams

Pressure from exams, marks, attendance or falling behind.

Stress or worry

Feeling tense, nervous or panicky, or finding it hard to relax or sleep.

Feeling low

Feeling sad, empty or hopeless, or losing interest in things.

Friends and relationships

Arguments, a breakup, love matters or feeling left out.

Settling in or loneliness

Missing home, hostel life, a new place or feeling alone.

Family or money worries

Problems at home, family expectations, fees or expenses.

Career and future

Choosing a course, finding work or deciding what comes next.

Something else

Anything else, or you just want someone to listen.

Counselling is just for you. Worried about a friend? They can ask for counselling from their own app. If someone is ragging or hurting you, use Report Ragging on Home so the committee can act.

Parents and counselling

Only a student can ask for counselling, and only for themselves. Counselling is private to your child. They can ask for it themselves from Talk to a counsellor in their own SIDHARTHAN app.

Who sees your counselling request

The counsellor who accepts this request will see who asked and the student’s name, course and phone number, so they can contact you. Other staff do not see them.

Appointments and support updates

Your institution will assign a counsellor. Your counsellor will confirm the appointment.

Your care team will arrange support with you. Find replies and appointment updates in My Requests.

You can cancel a confirmed appointment in the app. This releases the booked time. Your care request stays open.

Counselling and care requests follow care-team arrangements, not the concern-report timeframes.

Support updates you may see

• Support offered
• Team tried to contact you
• Support in progress
• Support completed
• Support declined

What Connect is

Connect, share, ask questions and support each other in moderated, text-only rooms.

No rooms are available yet. Your institution creates rooms and selects the batches or students who can join.

Only names, batch or staff role and programme are shown here. Phone numbers and other contact details are never shared in rooms.

Connect is for students and staff. It is not part of the parent app.

Community guidelines

1. Be kind and respectful. No ragging, bullying, threats or hate.
2. Text only: no photos, audio, files or attachments.
3. Never share phone numbers, addresses or other contact details.
4. Share only links you trust. Links open outside the app after you confirm.
5. Long-press a message to report it to the room’s moderators. Moderators can delete messages that break these rules.
6. Everything you post is visible to current members of the room, including people who join later.
7. For a personal concern or an emergency, use Report or SOS from Home instead.

How your requests are kept private

• Your space, your privacy. Your request history stays behind your secret PIN. Help is always available from Home.
• The service knows who submits the report. Hide my identity keeps it off usual review screens.
• Students can choose to let a linked parent or guardian follow a request. They can follow its progress and read what you sent. Attachments, voice recordings and messages stay private. This cannot be undone after you send.
• The counsellor who accepts a counselling request sees who asked. Other staff do not.

How your identity is handled Who sees a counselling request Privacy Policy

What parents and guardians can see

Your reports stay behind your secret PIN. Your children's own requests stay private unless they choose to share one with you.

A request a child shares is read-only for the parent. Only the child can add updates, files or messages to it.

You report as a parent or guardian. Your child's own requests stay private unless they share them with you.

Your account and personal information

Ask for help with your account or personal information. Your institution will review your request. Closing your account ends sign-in access; it does not remove past reports.

Requests you can make in the app

• Get a copy of my information
• Limit the use of my information
• Request removal of information
• Close my account access

Official data protection law

In immediate danger

Call 112 for police, fire or medical help.

Emergency and support contacts

Sign-in, account or profile help

Contact your institution for sign-in or profile help. For your private-request PIN, contact your university.

About a report or request

Use Messages & files on the request in My Requests. Quote this request ID when you contact your institution.

General questions about SIDHARTHAN

SIDHARTHAN is an initiative of the Kerala State Higher Education Council. For general questions about the initiative, contact the Council.

Contact details

Staff access

Use the mobile number registered with your institution. Contact your institution if you need access.

Staff sign in

Staff workspace and staff app

Institutions give staff their access. In the app, staff choose Staff. On this website, staff sign in to the staff workspace with the mobile number registered with their institution.

Anti-Ragging Squad responders receive SOS alerts; TOOFAN Team responders receive drug alerts and never an SOS. A member of both teams receives both. Responders also see their assigned requests. Counsellors, committee members, institution heads and review teams at university, district and state level each see only the work and areas their role allows.

Staff sign in