Pune Leads the Way with Launch of City Chapter for Mental Health Action

The session was led under the guidance of Smt. Vandana Chavan, former Member of Parliament and former Mayor of Pune. She welcomed the Honourable leadership and dignitaries of the Pune Municipal Corporation, elected representatives, and stakeholders, while acknowledging Dr. Mohan Agashe for his contributions in the mental health space as a former advisor to the Government of Maharashtra.

The meeting was also attended by Shri Naval Kishore, (Municipal Commissioner, PMC), Shri Shrinath Bhimale (Honourable Chairman, Standing Committee, PMC), Shri Sanjiv Wavare, Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Pune Municipal Corporation, whose leadership was central to bringing the conversation together, Dr. Mohan Agashe (Former Advisor, Govt. of Maharashtra on Mental Health Education and Service) along with many representatives from civil society and technical experts.  The session included a presentation by Mr. Arjun Kapoor (CMHLP) and Dr. Sukriti Chauhan (ETI Services), outlining the data landscape, policy frameworks, and actionable pathways for Pune.

Shri Naval Kishore, Municipal Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, in his address said:

“The social environment we build shapes how people think and respond. Mental health is not limited to hospitals; we must strengthen ecosystems both within and beyond them. This is an area where the PMC is committed to act.”

Shri Shrinath Bhimale, Chairman, Standing Committee, Pune Municipal Corporation added:

“We are working on initiatives such as ‘Pink Rooms’ for adolescent girls and improving the quality of government hospitals. We are committed to supporting efforts that advance suicide prevention and mental wellbeing in the city.”

Smt. Vandana Chavan addressing the gathering threw light on how;

“Pune, as a city of young people and institutions, is uniquely positioned to lead this effort. While India has made progress, the challenge before us is to translate policy into coordinated, on-ground action. This meeting aims to bring the power of local leadership together to shape practical solutions to the issue at hand today,” she said.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Former Advisor noted:

“What institutions need is strong motivation and sustained effort. Mental health policy must remain independent of political cycles. Education and health require long-term commitment, and every individual has a right to access care.”

Dr. Sukriti Chauhan, CEO, ETI Services, emphasised:

“We are no longer dealing with isolated incidents, this is a systemic crisis unfolding across our schools, institutions and communities. If we don’t embed mental health into everyday governance now, we risk failing an entire generation asking to be heard and supported.”

Arjun Kapoor, Co-Director and Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy, Indian Law Society mentioned

“Youth mental health and suicide prevention in schools, colleges, workplaces and the broader community requires cross-sectoral interventions and action. With its vibrant youth population, Pune has become an economic and educational hub. In collaboration with city leadership and wider civil society, the city stands to become national model of effectively embedding mental health in all aspects of social, health and economic development.”

The discussion focused on feasible, city-level interventions, including awareness campaigns, strengthened counselling systems, school-based programmes, and cross-sector partnerships. The Pune Chapter aims to serve as a pilot for a scalable model, demonstrating how municipal leadership can drive integrated mental health action across systems.