Overview

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare confirmed Padukone’s appointment on World Mental Health Day, calling it a step to widen public awareness and reduce stigma.
• Her brief includes promoting help-seeking behavior, publicizing Tele-MANAS, and supporting strategies to improve equitable access to mental health care.
• Padukone marked a decade of her Live Love Laugh foundation with a visit to Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, meeting local partners and beneficiaries with chairperson Dr Shyam Bhat and CEO Anisha Padukone.
• The foundation reports its Rural Community Mental Health Program has reached 21,931 people and caregivers across 15 districts in eight states.
• She said therapy in India is increasingly blending Western approaches with practices like yoga and meditation, and reiterated her stance on fair work hours while noting she prefers to fight her battles quietly.