The Indian Council of Medical Research’s flagship initiative, ICMR-MINDS, has been conferred the Gold Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026, recognising its innovative use of digital technology to strengthen public health services.
The project received the honour under Category 2, “Innovation by Use of AI and Other New Age Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services,” during the 29th National Conference on e-Governance held in Jaipur on July 1-2, 2026. The award was presented by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, in the presence of senior central and state government officials.
ICMR-MINDS is a National Health Research Priority project focused on integrating the screening and management of mental and substance use disorders with other non-communicable diseases in routine health services. At the core of the initiative is a Clinical Decision Support System that enables task-shifting of standardised mental health screening, assessment, follow-up and routine management from specialists to trained non-specialist frontline healthcare providers, backed by evidence-based digital decision support. This approach is designed to make mental health care more accessible and consistent, particularly in resource-constrained settings, while maintaining quality and safety.
Speaking on the recognition, Director General of ICMR, Dr Rajiv Bahl, said that ICMR will continue to pioneer data-driven, scalable technology interventions to address complex public health challenges. He noted that the MINDS platform demonstrates how artificial intelligence and digital tools can be harnessed to support frontline health workers and improve care for conditions that often go underdiagnosed and undertreated. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has highlighted the project as a model for integrating mental health into broader non-communicable disease programmes, underscoring its potential to inform national and state-level strategies in the years ahead.
