By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 06, 2026 7:10 pm
Flagship initiative recognised for leveraging AI and digital technologies to strengthen citizen-centric mental healthcare services across seven states
Indian Council of Medical Research's flagship initiative, ICMR-MINDS (Mental Health Integration with Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Systems), has been awarded the Gold Award under the category "Innovation by Use of AI and Other New Age Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services" at the National Awards for e-Governance.
Instituted by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, the award recognises innovative digital governance initiatives that improve public service delivery.
The award was presented by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, in the presence of Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister for Information Technology and Communication, Government of Rajasthan; V. Srinivas, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan; and Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, DARPG and Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare, Government of India.
ICMR-MINDS is a national implementation research programme aimed at integrating the screening and management of mental and substance use disorders with services for other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
At the heart of the initiative is an AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) that enables trained frontline healthcare workers to conduct standardised mental health screening, assessment, follow-up, and routine management with evidence-based digital guidance, reducing dependence on specialists.
The platform incorporates digital screening and assessment workflows, role-based clinical guidance, multilingual interfaces, offline functionality, gamified features to improve user engagement, and real-time administrative dashboards for monitoring service delivery.
The programme is currently being implemented across seven states through collaborations with leading institutions, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, Gujarat Institute of Mental Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, St. John's Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, covering the states of Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab.
Reacting to the recognition, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, and Director General, ICMR, said, "ICMR will continue to pioneer data-driven, scalable technology interventions to solve complex public health challenges. Through ongoing collaboration with participating institutions and state health systems, ICMR remains committed to providing affordable, standardised, and high-quality healthcare platforms for the people of India."