A total of Rs 92,333.43 crore has been allocated to the health sector in the 2025-26 budget. However, as has been the long-standing trend, the majority of direct mental health spending has been confined to two centrally funded institutions – NIMHANS Bengaluru, which has been allotted Rs 860 crore, and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, which has received Rs 65 crore.

The National Tele Mental Health Programme (Manas) has been allocated Rs 79.6 crore, a decline from the Rs 90 crore allocated in 2024-25, which was later revised to Rs 45 crore. Despite the increasing burden of mental health disorders, no other significant mentions or new initiatives addressing mental health have been included in the budget. Although mental illnesses affect millions of people worldwide, mental health had little to no presence in the Union budget presented last Saturday.

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In India, one in four people experience mental health issues, making a strong case for higher budgetary allocation to improve treatment and awareness. Researches emphasize that the lack of funding directly impacts accessibility to mental health services, further exacerbating the crisis. For instance, mental illnesses are more common in........

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