India is facing a growing mental health crisis marked by a high burden of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicides, with nearly 70–92% treatment gap and a severe shortage of professionals. The Union Budget 2026 has focused on institutional expansion, including a second campus of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, upgradation of regional institutes, and continued support for digital services like Tele MANAS. However, mental health spending remains below 2% of the health budget, and challenges such as stigma, limited community-level services, workforce shortages, and rising youth and digital-age stress persist. Addressing the crisis requires greater funding, community-based care, preventive strategies, and stronger primary healthcare integration to ensure accessible and affordable mental health services for all.
Click to View MoreThe Economic Survey 2025–26 cautions that unchecked rural–urban migration strains cities and weakens villages through a care drain. Existing schemes fall short. It calls for holistic rural revival by boosting non-farm jobs, local governance, and rural–urban integration to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth.
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