About

• The Government of India (GoI) in its Union Budget 2022, announced the National Tele Mental Health Programme of India, Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele MANAS) and entrusted the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to guide its overall implementation. 
• The helpline was a response to a mental health crisis inflamed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates show that 70-92% of Indians do not receive medication or treatment for different mental conditions. 
• Tele-MANAS was thus envisioned as an emergency mental health first-aid kit, embarking on a journey of building a comprehensive digital mental health network across India and reaching the unreached.

Structure

• Tele-MANAS comprises two tiers: trained counsellors at State Tele-MANAS cells who provide immediate care, and mental health professionals (psychologists, clinicians, psychiatrists) at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) who provide specialist care. 
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru, serves as the nodal centre while the International Institute of Information Technology (IIITB) in Bengaluru is tasked with providing the technical know-how for the helpline.

Why in News?

• A dedicated Tele-MANAS Cell has been established at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune with the support of the Union Health Ministry. 

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1981617