National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences is a medical institution in Bengaluru, India. NIMHANS is the apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country. It is an Institute of National Importance operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. NIMHANS is ranked 4th best medical institute in India, having applied for the first time in NIRF ranking of 2020.
History.
The history of the institute dates back to 1847, when the Bangalore Lunatic Asylum was founded. In 1925, the Government of Mysore rechristened the asylum as the Mental Hospital. The Mysore Government Mental Hospital became the first institute in India for postgraduate training in psychiatry.
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) was the result of the amalgamation of the erstwhile State Mental Hospital and the All India Institute of Mental Health (AIIMH) established by the Government of India in 1954. The institute was inaugurated on 27 December 1974, establishing it as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act to lead in the area of medical service and research in the country.
On 14 November 1994, NIMHANS was conferred a deemed university status by the University Grants Commission with academic autonomy. The institute has been declared as an Institute of National Importance by an act of parliament in 2012. In March 2017, the Government of India passed the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, which also proposes to set up NIMHANS-like institutions across the nation.
Campus.
NIMHANS has five campuses in the city, spread over an area of 174 acres of urban establishments, which includes 30 acres of an under-construction Bangalore North campus. The main campuses of the institute are located in Byrasandra (hospital wing) and Lakkasandra (academic and administrative wing) localities on either side of the Hosur Road. The 'Community Mental Health Center' is located in the Sakalavara area on Bannerghatta Road. The 'NIMHANS Centre for Well Being' is situated in a residential area in BTM Layout. A state-of-the-art convention centre located in the main campus frequently hosts international conferences, seminars, trade shows, expositions, and media events.
Organization and administration.
Governance.
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences is a multidisciplinary institute for patient care and academic pursuit in the frontier area of mental health and neurosciences. The priority gradient adopted at the Institute is service, manpower development and research. A multidisciplinary integrated approach is the mainstay of this institute, paving the way to translate the results from the bench to the bedside. Several national and international funding organizations provide resources for academic and research activities.
Academics.
Academic Programs.
Doctor of Philosophy.
(a) Institute Fellowship
(b) External Fellowship
Rankings.
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences has been ranked 4th best medical institution in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework medical ranking for 2020.
Controversies.
In February 2014, NIMHANS approached the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to complain about a film to be released with the same name. Although initially, the institution was able to block the release of the film if it was named as such, subsequently, the film-maker was able to launch his film without renaming it, once the Censor Board and KFCC approved the name in its second round.
Notable People.
NIMHANS has a strong alumni network of medical scientists and doctors taking over many prestigious positions across the world. Some of the prominent people associated with institute include clinical psychologists H. Narayan Murthy, Radhika Chandiramani and Satwant Pasricha, philosophers and yoga therapists S. K. Ramachandra Rao H. R. Nagendra, psychiatrists M. Sarada Menon, Shekhar Seshadri, Santosh Kumar Chaturvedi and Jaswant Singh Neki, neuroscientists, Turaga Desiraju, Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian and Bilikere Dwarakanath, neurologists Naeem Sadiq, Sunil Pradhan, and neurosurgeons, N. K. Venkataramana, R. Marthanda Varma among others.