NIMHANS-ICMR consultation proposes national framework for digital mental health tools

A national consultation convened by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has proposed a national governance framework for the safe use of digital technologies in mental healthcare. The recommendations were drawn up at a three-day consultation held from 15-17 April 2026 by the NIMHANS-ICMR Centre for Advanced Research on Digital Interventions for Mental Health Care, with the Services for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) Clinic, under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and ICMR.

The consultation flagged three urgent gaps. First, the lack of a national governance framework for mental-health apps, AI-based screening tools and online therapy services. Second, the absence of a verified directory of apps that meet basic clinical safety and privacy standards — at present app stores are flooded with self-help and anxiety-management products with no review against Indian clinical guidelines. Third, low digital literacy among users and care-givers, which limits the safe and effective use of even good tools.

India's mental-health burden is severe and grossly under-treated. The National Mental Health Survey of India (NMHS, 2015-16) found that nearly 150 million Indians needed active mental-health intervention but fewer than 30 million were receiving any. India has fewer than one psychiatrist per 1,00,000 people, against a WHO benchmark of three. Tele-MANAS (the Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States), launched in 2022, has scaled significantly but is voice-based; the next leap will be AI-based screening, vernacular chat-bots and clinician-supervised digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

The legal scaffolding exists but is fragmented. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 guarantees a right to mental health care; the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs how sensitive personal data, including mental-health data, is handled; and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 apply to platforms. NIMHANS' framework attempts to stitch these together with a clinical evaluation rubric and a verified-app registry for users.

Exam angle: Remember NIMHANS Bengaluru is an Institute of National Importance (under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, declared INI in 2012), ICMR is India's apex medical-research body under the same Ministry, and Tele-MANAS is the flagship public mental-health helpline. Pair this with notes on the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.