Mental health should not be a silent struggle: Arunachal governor
Itanagar, Jul 30 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) KT Parnaik on Wednesday emphasised that mental health should no longer be a silent struggle or social taboo, but rather a shared responsibility.
Speaking at an event in Itanagar, the governor handed over grant-in-aid cheques of Rs 10 lakh to Deepak Nabam Living Home, Senki Park, and Rs 5 lakh to Mother's Home, Lekhi village, Naharlagun.
Parnaik urged NGOs to double their efforts in the rehabilitation and reintegration of welfare and dignity of persons battling mental health challenges.
He acknowledged the growing need for compassionate care and structured support systems.
Lauding the exemplary services rendered by organisations like Deepak Nabam Living Home and Mother's Home, Parnaik recognised them as shining examples of humanity in action.
He praised the selfless dedication of their teams, noting that such efforts not only heal lives but also restore hope, dignity, and a sense of belonging to those who need it the most.
'Their unwavering commitment to supporting some of the most vulnerable and neglected members of our society, especially those grappling with mental illness and abandonment, reflects true social service," he said.
The governor said the state and central governments are always with them to take up their benevolent mission ahead.
Commissioner to governor, Pawan Kumar Sain, National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) state programme officer Dr Haniya Payee, NHMP in-charge TeleMANAS Dr Hatobin Mai, NHMP director finance Habung Youngbow were also present. PTI CORR MNB
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
2.8L stray dogs sterilised & vaccinated during spl drives
Lucknow: As part of its animal welfare and urban safety initiatives, the state's urban development department (UDD) has successfully sterilized and vaccinated over 2.8 lakh stray dogs across all 17 municipal corporations till date. The target was achieved during comprehensive Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination programmes, said officials They said that these programmes, which have seen 1.25 lakh sterilizations in 2023-24 and 1.19 lakh in 2024-25, are designed to humanely manage the stray dog population and curb the spread of rabies. The UDD has established 17 permanent ABC centres and is adding two more in Lucknow and Ghaziabad, backed by a Rs 32.7 crore state govt allocation—a first in secretary of the UDD, Amrit Abhijat, said, "Through our ABC, anti-rabies vaccination, and pet licensing programs, we are working diligently with urban local bodies to promote safer communities and humane animal management. The establishment of modern ABC centres and the issuance of 5,333 pet licenses this year reflect our dedication to comprehensive urban solutions. "
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Radio-collar tracking planned amid rising jumbo attacks in Kodagu
Madikeri: Incidents of wild elephant attacks are on the rise across Kodagu, leading to fatalities and extensive damage to agricultural lands. Elephant herds are frequently invading paddy fields and coffee plantations, destroying a wide range of crops including coffee, black pepper, arecanut, coconut, and banana. Villages in south Kodagu such as Kunda, Echuru, Halligattu, V Badaga, Aruvathhoklu, Kongana, Kuttandi, Hudikeri, Haisodlur, and Birunani are witnessing regular movement of elephant herds, causing growing concern among residents. The situation has become particularly worrisome for students and daily commuters, who are at increased risk while travelling during early morning and evening hours. The presence of these wild elephants near roadside plantations and forest areas has instilled fear among villagers. The forest department plans to implement radio-collar tracking to monitor elephant movements. In Ponnampet zone, specifically in Hudikeri hobli and surrounding areas, three elephants will be fitted with radio collars. The installation process, which will be conducted after administering anesthesia, takes 45 minutes. Vet Dr Sanath is leading the initiative, having previously fitted over 35 elephants with radio collars. The tracking system focuses on female elephants, who typically lead their herds. Once located, these elephants are fitted with radio collars enabling satellite tracking. This provides real-time movement information to help villagers take necessary precautions. Solitary elephants are also monitored similarly. Chakkera Thamaya, radio collar project coordinator, said these devices typically function effectively for 5-6 years, though damage can occur during elephant confrontations. The collar's antenna emits signals, providing information about herd movements which can be captured through receivers. Each advanced radio collar costs Rs 5 lakh.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Soon, centralised kitchens for midday meal in Gujarat government schools to address malnutrition
Soon, over 16 lakh government school students enrolled across 66 talukas will get high-nutrition mid-day meals (MDMs) of a uniform quality. The Gujarat government is set to launch a 'centralised kitchen' scheme aimed at addressing the severe issue of malnutrition in the state. The project will be kicked off with an estimated capital expenditure of Rs 900 crore, and an additional annual operational expenditure of Rs 200 crore. 'The centralised kitchens have been planned keeping the taste and quality of food given in the MDMs in focus. This is aimed at addressing the nutrition as well as attendance of government school students. Also, with the recent introduction of breakfast in these schools, the combination of nutritious breakfast and lunch is expected to have a major impact on their health,' Principal Secretary, Education, Mukesh Kumar told The Indian Express. Sources said that according to the recent data from Gujarat's Department of Women and Child Development, the worst-affected districts with highest number of malnourished children in the state are Narmada, Panchmahal, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Surat, Mehsana, Dang, Tapi and Bharuch. Of these, Narmada has the highest number of such cases. For these centralised kitchens, cluster mapping has been carried out in a scientific manner with the aim that meals reach each school within 90 minutes of cooking. The cluster mapping of 66 talukas — 46 tribal and 20 non-tribal developing talukas — was done in such a manner that the centralised kitchen covers maximum number of schools in the radius, taking into account the students enrolled, geographical condition of the area, for instance forest, desert, coastal areas, and other factors. The state government has also given a nod to nearly 15 non-government agencies that had applied for the project through a tender process. 'These also include those from other states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh,' revealed a government official. Under the project, the centralised kitchens would be constructed by the state government on its own land and assets, which will be handed over to these agencies for management and operations. 'A monitoring authority will check the quality of food being served. Also, allotment to two or more agencies rather than a single in the same district will also help in creating a competition among themselves,' authorities stated. At present, only 10 such centralised kitchens are operating in the state, covering 3,003 government primary schools and over 6.81 lakh students. Akshaya Patra operates the highest number – seven – centralised kitchens to cover nearly 1,900 schools in certain pockets of municipal corporation areas of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Gandhinagar. Similarly, Stree Shakti is catering to 333 municipal schools in Ahmedabad east areas while Nayak foundation is looking after 670 schools in Navsari district. Paras Agro is active in 91 municipal schools in Rajkot city. One centralised kitchen is being run by each of these non-profit agencies. As per the data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on July 23 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to a question asked by MP Saket Gokhale, percentage of stunted children is 32.72 per cent, according to the state-wise malnutrition indicators for children in the age group of 0-5 years from Poshan Tracker data for the month of June. Further, 7.28 per cent children are wasted and 18.41 per cent are underweight, the response stated. The June 2024 data, as per the Poshan Tracker, revealed 39.73 per cent stunted, 9.16 per cent wasted, and 21.39 per cent underweight children. Though these numbers have improved in the last few years, the number of children suffering from malnutrition is still high in Gujarat. While stunting, a form of malnutrition, is characterised by a child being too short for their age, indicating impaired growth and development, wasting indicates the child to be too thin for their height and is considered to be a dangerous form of malnutrition.
