1 in 4 Indian college students struggle with stress, anxiety or depression. Most stay silent due to stigma, fear of judgment, or simply not knowing where to turn.
The hardest part? When you're truly struggling, you don't want to fill a form or get a risk score. You just want someone to listen.
MindCheck is a private AI companion that talks with Indian college students like a caring friend. Unlike clinical apps that ask you to fill forms, MindCheck just listens and remembers what you said.
| Feature | Other Apps | MindCheck |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction | One time form | Continuous conversation |
| Memory | Forgets each session | Remembers full context |
| Tone | Clinical assessment | Caring friend |
| Focus | Generic advice | Indian specific context |
| Crisis | Shows number always | Shows naturally when needed |
| Control | App decides | User always in control |
Student opens app
↓
Types how they feel naturally
↓
AI responds like a caring friend
↓
Conversation continues with memory
↓
If distress detected over multiple messages
AI gently mentions iCall helpline
↓
Student feels heard — not assessed
- Real time chat without page reloads
- Full conversation memory across messages
- Typing animation while AI thinks
- Detects hidden distress in casual language
- Indian specific context awareness: → Hostel life and loneliness → Exam pressure and results → Family expectations → Ragging and bullying → Competitive exam burnout
- New Chat button for fresh start
- Crisis helpline always visible in footer
- Mobile friendly design
- API key secured with environment variables
Backend:
Python 3.13
Flask — web framework
Groq API — AI inference
Llama 3.3 70B — language model
Frontend:
HTML5 + CSS3
JavaScript fetch API
JSON for data exchange
Security:
python-dotenv for API key protection
MindCheck/
├── app.py ← Flask backend + AI logic
├── templates/
│ └── index.html ← Chat interface
├── .env ← API key (not on GitHub)
├── .gitignore ← Protects .env
└── README.md ← This file
Conversation Memory: Full chat history is sent with every API call. This gives the AI complete context so it can say "you mentioned hostel life earlier" and build a genuine supportive conversation.
Natural Distress Detection: Instead of asking "rate your stress 1-10" the AI detects distress naturally through conversation — the same way a real friend would notice something is wrong without asking directly.
Indian Context Awareness: The AI is specifically prompted to understand Indian college life — hostel loneliness, exam pressure, family expectations, ragging, and competitive exam burnout like JEE and NEET.
User Always In Control: The app never alerts anyone, never shares data, never acts without the student's knowledge. Crisis resources are shown gently and naturally — never forced.
Built from personal experience of hostel life and the loneliness of new surroundings in 1st year.
Watching fellow students struggle silently while pretending everything was fine inspired this project.
MindCheck doesn't replace human connection. It triggers it.
- 📞 iCall: 9152987821 (free, confidential)
- 📞 Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-2662-345
- 📞 AASRA: 9820466627 (available 24/7)
- 📞 UGC Anti Ragging: 1800-180-5522
- Voice input so students can speak freely
- Silence detection across sessions
- Pattern tracking over time
- Optional anonymous counselor connection
- Hindi and regional language support
Solo Project | 1st Year B.Tech Student Mental Health Track | Student Wellness Initiative