41% of India's Scientists are Women: Chouhan Highlights women Agri-Power (See 'Corp Brief') IBA hosts RRB Conclave 2026 on 'Next-Gen Reforms for RRBs' (See 'Corp Brief') Companies Act - Technical provisions of Companies Act cannot be relied on to evade compliance with a Court decree prohibiting the judgment debtor from transferring the shares to any third party: HC (See 'Legal Desk') MoEFCC organizes Workshop to address Challenge of Elephant-train Collisions (See 'Corp Brief') Govt, Civil Society & Tech leaders unite to build Model for Persons with Hearing Impairment (See 'Corp Brief') PMLA - Appearance of Appellant, ordinarily operating in Mumbai, before SAFEMA Appellate Tribunal at Delhi, does not confer territorial jurisdiction to the Delhi High Court over Appellant: HC (See 'Legal Desk') NHAI gets warm response from Bidders for Four-Laning of Dhamasiya-Bitada in Gujarat (See 'Corp Brief') Metro in India a 'Silent Revolution' transforming Urban Mobility and Society (See 'Corp Brief') CCI approves acquisition by Cube V of road asset business of DYIPL, DVIPL, DGIPL and DTEHPL (See 'Corp Brief') CCI approves acquisition of stake in Curefit Healthcare by MacRitchie Investments (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Once Resolution Plan is approved by NCLT u/s 31 of IBC, it becomes binding on all stakeholders, and all claims not provided for in plan stand extinguished: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Country ready for any Unprecedented Demand for Coal: Govt (See 'Corp Brief') DPIIT signs MoU with Voltas Limited to support Industry-Start-up Collaboration for Smart Appliance Technologies (See 'Corp Brief') New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments were Signed by 13 Leading Model Providers (See 'Corp Brief') APEDA showcases Agri and Processed Food Export Strength at AAHAR 2026 (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Party seeking cancellation of registered trademark on grounds of similarity and prior rights must first establish its own prior and continuous use of its mark as trademark: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Capacity Building Commission hosts workshop on sustainable financing & resource mobilisation (See 'Corp Brief') Govt boosts Credit Flow to Agriculture Sector through targeted Policy Measures (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Application of Discount for Lack of Marketability is permissible valuation methodology under Indian Accounting Standards for determining fair value of unlisted, illiquid shares in context of capital reduction: SC (See 'Legal Desk') IICA holds 4th Batch of Directors' Certification for Defence Officers (See 'Corp Brief') Financial inclusion campaign was held in 2.7 lakh Gram Panchayats and ULBs (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Award can be set aside only on specific grounds such as being contrary to fundamental policy of Indian law, violating basic notions of morality or justice, or suffering from patent illegality that goes to root of matter: HC (See 'Legal Desk') ICANN85 in Mumbai highlights Collaboration for resilient Internet (See 'Corp Brief') Minister chairs 35th Meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - amendment to petition filed u/s 34 of Arbitration Act, cannot be permitted under Order VI Rule 17 of CPC if its effect is to introduce challenge to distinct part of arbitral award: HC (See 'Legal Desk') NITI Aayog convenes Regional Best Practices Seminar (See 'Corp Brief') FTAs opening New Opportunities for Pharma, Healthcare and MedTech Sectors: Goyal (See 'Corp Brief') MSME Ministry promotes Energy Efficiency and Green Practices in MSME Sector (See 'Corp Brief') Transforming Mined Landscapes: NLC India's Journey in Sustainable Mine Restoration (See 'Corp Brief') IEPFA-NCAER jointly organise Investor Education and Protection Workshop (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Proprietorship of trademark, as general rule, vests in manufacturer who affixes mark on product, not in importer or distributor of those goods: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Chouhan holds post-Budget discussion with coconut farmers in Chennai (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Creditor cannot be forced to elect its remedy or apportion its claim between principal debtor and guarantor: SC (See 'Legal Desk') IBC - Judicial review by NCLT & NCLAT does not extend commercial wisdom of Committee of Creditors in evaluating and approving resolution plan: SC (See 'Legal Desk') A&C - Pre-award and post-award interest operate in distinct fields and contractual bar applicable to former cannot, by implication, be extended to latter: SC (See 'Legal Desk') MoS interacts with beneficiaries of desalination plant in Kavaratti (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Court will not grant specific performance of contractual obligation that is contingent upon discretionary approval of third-party government authority: HC (See 'Legal Desk') A&C - Contractual clause that expressly and widely bars payment of interest on ‘any moneys due to contractor' prohibits arbitral tribunal from awarding pre-reference and pendente lite interest on all claims: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Supreme Court Clears Path For Single Insolvency Proceedings Against Linked Group Companies (See CORP EINSICHT)

Ministry of Health celebrates two years of Tele MANAS

Published: Oct 11, 2024

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, OCT 11, 2024: THE Union Health Ministry celebrated the completion of two years of National Tele Mental Health Programme, Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking across States (Tele MANAS) on World Mental Health Day, here yesterday. The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day is: "It is time to prioritize Mental Health at Workplace".

Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary, MoHFW & Managing Director, National Health Mission (NHM) launched the Tele MANAS app and Tele MANAS video call facility in the presence of Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to India, Saurabh Jain, Joint Secretary, MoHFW, Dr. Partima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and other senior officers from the Ministry.

Tele MANAS app is a comprehensive mobile platform that has been developed for providing support for mental health issues. The app has a library of information including tips on self-care, recognizing distress signals, managing early signs of stress, anxiety, and emotional struggles. It facilitates engagement of the user through mind challenges, games and mindfulness practices providing a user-friendly experience. The app will help users connect for free and get confidential mental health support through trained mental health professionals across India, 24x7 for immediate counseling.

Video consultations in Tele MANAS is another upgrade to the already existing audio calling facility. This will be undertaken by the mental health professionals who are taking audio call escalations to get further information about the caller as part of history taking and clarification. This can also enable a brief physical examination or a Mental State Examination (MSE) for the caller to confirm any findings. This facility will be initially launched in the states of Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir and Tamil Nadu and later scaled up to the whole country.

In her inaugural address, Aradhana Patnaik stated that "Mental health is fundamental to health and plays a crucial role in enabling individuals, families and communities to function at their highest level, work productively and contribute to society. Unhealthy work environments and other unfavorable working conditions have an impact on one's general health, well-being, mental health, and involvement or productivity at work. There is a need for creating a good work environment and work-life balance for more productive results in the workplace."

She stated that "Tele MANAS has reached a significant milestone, having handled over 14.5 lakh calls since its launch."

Underlining the importance of adolescent mental health and issues faced by the adolescent population, Patnaik stressed "the need for Information, Education, and Communication (IEC)  to ensure awareness about the Tele MANAS App". 

Talking about mental health in the workplace, Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India, stated that issues like gender inequity, disrespectful unsupportive colleagues, lack of work-life balance, and job satisfaction lead to mental health challenges for the employees in the workplace. He emphasized the responsibility of employers and managers to create a supportive work environment.

Congratulating the Ministry for two years with the successful implementation of Tele-MANAS, he stated that "WHO review of Tele-MANAS has shown a successful model for mental health. It has the potential to work well. The primary healthcare especially the Ayushmann Arogya Mandirs have proven to be successful in improving mental health and well-being of the people". He also highlighted the importance of collective efforts of all stakeholders to enhance mental health at the workplace. 

Tele MANAS reflects the government's commitment to nurturing the nation's mental well-being. The Tele MANAS toll-free helpline numbers 14416 or 1-800-891-4416 offer multi-language support in 20 languages and have been pivotal in facilitating communication between callers and mental health professionals.

The Report of Tele MANAS rapid assessment by World Health Organizations (WHO) and a Selfcare Module for Employees titled 'Taking charge of your mental health- because it matters" was also released at the event.

In order to evaluate the performance and progress of Tele MANAS, a rapid assessment was organized by MoHFW in coordination with WHO India, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South-East Asia (WHO SEARO), WHO Headquarters & NIMHANS. The assessment was based on desk reviews of national data and primary data collected from four states/Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. The report appreciates the novel initiative of the Government of India and highlights some significant milestones achieved by Tele MANAS in providing mental health support and its robust technological architecture.

The booklet 'Taking Charge of Your Mental Health- Because It Matters" focuses on the efforts that individuals could make to maintain mental health and well-being. The booklet attempts to clear some of the misconceptions regarding mental health and offers a few strategies that individuals could try to explore by themselves. It also specifically focuses on stress arising out of difficult workplace situations.

The event further had roundtable discussions with a variety of panelists coming from a diversified group of people that include Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Institutions such as National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), WHO, Industry associations such as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)/ Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and NAT Health (Healthcare Federation of India), Development partners such as Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), organizations promoting wellness such as Art of Living Foundation and Arogya World, and Civil society organization like Jan Sahas.

The topics discussed during the sessions included policies and frameworks to foster mental health resilience at workplaces; Mental Wellbeing at Informal Workplaces / Challenges, Opportunities, and Inclusive Solutions; and Preventive Mental Health- The Role of Holistic Practices in Promoting Well-being. The panelists also explored the role of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) & Tele MANAS in promoting mental health support. Furthermore, Union Health Ministry has sought active participation from other Ministries of the Government to implement employee engagement activities designed to support mental health in the workplace.

TIOL CORP SEARCH

TIOL GROUP WEBSITES