India Pledges to Normalize Mental Health Conversations

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the urgent need to integrate mental health conversation into public discourse. In a post on social media platform X, he commended mental health professionals and called for collective efforts to make dialogues on mental health mainstream.

To enhance the accessibility of mental health services, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda introduced new initiatives for the National Tele Mental Health Programme. These include features like Multi-lingual UI and Chatbot for the Tele MANAS app, now available in ten regional languages. Nadda highlighted that mental wellness is key to a healthy nation.

Deepika Padukone has been selected as the Mental Health Ambassador to further raise awareness. Nadda noted that her role would move discussions around mental health towards normalization, focusing on reducing stigma. The Tele MANAS service has addressed 28 lakh calls, indicating growing awareness across demographics.

(With inputs from agencies.)