Executive Summary:
The Indian Government, through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is actively working to improve mental healthcare across the country. This is being done through the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), increasing the number of mental health professionals, reducing stigma around mental health, and improving accessibility in rural areas. Key initiatives include the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), Centres of Excellence, and the National Tele Mental Health Programme, with ongoing efforts as of July 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
National Mental Health Programme (NMHP):
-The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) is sanctioned in 767 districts, providing support through the National Health Mission.
-Facilities at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) offer outpatient services, assessment, counseling, psychosocial interventions, continuing care, drugs, outreach, and ambulance services.
-Provision for 10-bedded inpatient facilities at the district level.
Increasing Mental Health Professionals:
-25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned under the tertiary care component of NMHP to increase student intake in PG mental health specialties and provide tertiary treatment.
-Support provided to 19 Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health specialties.
-The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has approved 69 institutions/universities for Clinical Psychology courses and 9 for Rehabilitation Psychology courses.
-RCI launched B.Sc. and M.A. Clinical Psychology programs in the 2024-25 academic session.
-Online training courses are provided to general healthcare professionals to deliver mental healthcare services in underserved areas.
Reducing Stigma Around Mental Health:
-Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities and awareness programs are integral to NMHP in communities, schools, and workplaces.
-DMHP includes counseling in schools and colleges, workplace stress management, life skills training, suicide prevention services, and IEC activities to reduce stigma.
Improving Accessibility in Rural Areas:
-Over 1.77 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been upgraded to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
-Mental health services are included in the Comprehensive Primary Health Care packages at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
-Operational guidelines and training manuals for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released.
-The National Tele Mental Health Programme, launched on October 10, 2022, has established 53 Tele MANAS Cells across 36 States/UTs as of July 17, 2025, handling over 23,82,000 calls.
-Tele MANAS Mobile Application launched on October 10, 2024, to support mental health issues.
-Video consultation facility launched under Tele MANAS.
Impact Analysis:
Citizens:
Impact: Improved access to mental healthcare services, reduced stigma, and increased awareness.
Action Required: Utilize available resources such as Tele MANAS, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and community programs.
Healthcare Professionals:
Impact: Opportunities for training and specialization in mental health, increased resources for providing care.
Action Required: Participate in training programs, implement mental health services at primary healthcare levels, and utilize Tele MANAS platforms.
Educational Institutions:
Impact: Increased student intake in mental health specialties, opportunities to offer new courses in Clinical and Rehabilitation Psychology.
Action Required: Strengthen PG departments in mental health, offer RCI-approved courses, and participate in online training programs.
State/UT Governments:
Impact: Support for implementing DMHP and establishing Tele MANAS Cells.
Action Required: Implement DMHP in districts, set up and maintain Tele MANAS Cells, and ensure integration of mental health services into primary healthcare.
Key Entities Referenced
National Mental Health Programme: A government program implemented in the country to improve mental healthcare.
District Mental Health Programme: A component of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) implemented in 767 districts to provide mental health support through the National Health Mission.
National Health Mission: A national program that supports States and Union Territories in implementing the District Mental Health Programme.
Rehabilitation Council of India: An organization that approves institutions and universities to conduct courses in Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation Psychology.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Upgraded Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) that provide comprehensive primary health care, including mental health services.
Tele Mental Health Programme: A program launched to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country.
Tele MANAS: An initiative under the Tele Mental Health Programme providing tele mental health services through Tele MANAS Cells in various States and Union Territories.
Centres of Excellence: 25 Centers that have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialities as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2282
TO BE ANSWERED ON01STAUGUST, 2025
IMPROVING MENTALHEALTHCARE
2282. SHRIDEVUSINH CHAUHAN:
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to improve mental healthcare in
the country;
(b) the mechanism bywhich the Government proposes toincrease the numberof mental health
professionals;
(c)the steps taken/proposed tobe taken bythe Government toreduce the stigma aroundmental
health;and
(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to make mental healthcare more
accessible inrural areas?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) The Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the
country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has
been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts for which support is provided to
States/UTs through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under DMHPat
the Community Health Centre(CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels, include
outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care
and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance
services etc. In addition to above services there is a provision of 10 bedded in-patient
facilityat the District level.
(b) Under the tertiary care component of NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been
sanctionedto increase the intake of students inPG departmentsin mentalhealth specialities
as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities. Further, the Government has also
supported 19Government medical colleges/institutions tostrengthen 47PGDepartments in
mentalhealthspecialties.As per information received from Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), at present, 69
institutions/universities have been approved by RCI to conduct courses in Clinical
Psychology such as M.Phil., Professional Diploma, Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology), and 9
institutions/universities have been approved by RCI to conduct courses in Rehabilitation
Psychology such as M.Phil. (Rehabilitation Psychology). The Council has also launched
two more programmes in Clinical Psychology, i.e. B.Sc. (Clinical Psychology) and M.A.
(ClinicalPsychology)from the academicsession 2024- 25.
The Government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver mental
healthcare services in the underserved areas of the country by providing online training
courses to various categories of general healthcare medical and para medical professionals
through the Digital Academies.
(c) To generate awareness among masses about mental illness, Information, Education and
Communication (IEC) activities and awareness generation activities in the community,
schools, workplaces, with communityinvolvementare anintegral part of NMHP.
The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) isimplemented under the National Mental
Health Programme in 767 districts of the country to detect, manage and treat mental illness
with the major components of counselling in schools and colleges, work place stress
management, life skills training, suicide prevention services and Information, Education
and Communication (IEC) activities for generation of awareness and removal of stigma
associated with Mental Illness.
(d) The Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary
healthcare level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.77 lakh Sub Health Centres
(SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health
services have been added inthe packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health
Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Operational guidelines and training
manualsforvariouscadreson Mental,Neurological,andSubstanceUseDisorders (MNS)at
AyushmanArogyaMandirshavebeenreleasedundertheambitofAyushmanBharat.
Besides the above, the Government has launched a “National Tele Mental Health
Programme” on 10th October, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health
counselling and care services in the country. As on 17.07.2025, 36 States/ UTs have set up
53 Tele MANAS Cells and have started tele mental health services. More than 23,82,000
callshave beenhandledonthe helpline number.
The Government has also launched Tele MANAS Mobile Application on the occasion of
World Mental Health Day - October 10, 2024. Tele-MANAS Mobile Application is a
comprehensive mobile platform that has been developed to provide support for mental
health issues ranging from well being to mental disorders. The Government has also
launched the video consultation facility under Tele-MANAS, as another upgrade to the
alreadyexisting audiocallingfacility.
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