Ajay Chauhan, a state officer from Gujarat, was awarded the first Keshav Desiraju Memorial Award for mental health. Chauhan received the award at a virtual ceremony for his contributions to improving mental health in Gujarat since 2006.
The Keshav Desiraju Memorial Award was constituted in honor of Keshav Desiraju who died in 2021 after a long and outstanding career in the government. Desiraju’s work primarily focused on mental health, primary healthcare, and public health. He was also considered the ‘driving force’ behind India’s Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
The award recognizes the outstanding efforts of individuals in government service in the field of mental health in India. It comes with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a plaque and citation. “We were pleasantly surprised to receive a large number of applications from people working in the government in the field of mental health. It made choosing the awardee that much of a challenge,” said Sujatha Rao, former Union Secretary, and one of the three jury members. The other jury members included Amitabha Bhattacharya, the former principal adviser in charge of education and culture in the Planning Commission of India; and Anant Bhan Anant, global health researcher.
Speaking about Dr. Chauhan, she said that he has had an impressive career trajectory of working within the system since 2002. “Dr. Chauhan’s work stands out in terms of real-world impact. He made bold moves to advance mental health in the state” Sujatha added. Dr. Chauhan is credited with improving the district mental health program, improving accessibility to mental health services, building patient support groups, and enhancing community mental health programs.
“I remember Keshav Desiraju. I had the opportunity to spend some time and work with such a great person. I admire him for his passion for development of mental health sectors in the country and I tried to follow him in developing mental health in my state,” said Dr. Chauhan, while accepting the award.
You can view the virtual event here.
Images courtesy: CMHLP
