Sir /Madam

This letter is written in response to the HRD Ministry's proposal to discontinue M.Phil teaching courses in the Universities and Higher Educational Institutions in India (Draft National Education Policy 2019, Pg no: 238).

I, Dr. E. Aravind Raj, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS Bengaluru represent a group of Psychiatric Social Workers who are possessing an M. Phil in Psychiatric Social Work Degree and working in different parts of India and abroad.

We have a concern on the point mentioned in the Draft National Education Policy 2019 in page no.238 that talks about discontinuation of M Phil courses for the following reasons:

1.     Mental Healthcare Act 2017,   Chapter 1, 2(1), (x) defines  ‘PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER’ as  a person having a post-graduate degree in Social Work and a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Psychiatric Social Work obtained after completion of a full time course of two years which includes supervised clinical training from any University recognized by the University Grants Commission established under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or such recognized qualifications, as may be prescribed".

2.     M.Phil course in Psychiatric Social Work (PSW) for a duration of two years which is currently being offered by 17 institutions across India, imparts training in mental health setting and is basically a clinical training, research and academic based degree. This course is mandatory for some one to be recognized to work as a Psychiatric Social Worker in our country.  This course is offered across the country in these 17 institutes serves to augment the much needed human resource which the mental health sector is lacking.

3.     Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, under National Mental Health program has emphasized the need for increase in manpower in the field of mental health. In order to achieve it, in the recent past, the number of seats in M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work has been increased in all the Government Mental Health Institutes which offer M.Phil programs.

4.     This two-year M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work course is different from the M.Phil courses offered in other universities and colleges of other disciplines. In M.Phil PSW, the training is more towards clinical, research and academic aspects with the aim of manpower development in the field of mental health services. Where as in other M.Phil courses, the focus is only on academic and research work.

Hence, withdrawing recognition to all M Phil courses, will severely affect the status of PSW and throw the existing psychiatric social work services in mental health settings out of gear.

It is our my humble request that before issuing a blanket ban on all M Phil courses, the clinical M Phil courses offered in disciplines related to Mental Health be studied and to be continued which would facilitate the manpower development and effective mental health services in our country.

I am here with enclosing the list of members and their contact numbers who have endorsed this view:

1. Ragesh - 9964494585

2. Veeralakshmi - 98422 72207.

3. Aarthi Jagan - 9448150690

4. Shobana - 9435183606

5. Muthu Kumar - 9445440520

6. Sowmya - 8197210011

7. Ilora Barik Sil - 9433360678

8. Sonia - 9435080843

9. K. Janaki Raman - 8903511045

10. Jobin Tom - 9742169395

11. Malathi Swaminathan - 9962058252

12. Mamtha - 99554 34047

13. Shreedevi - 97315 10930

14. Soma Saha - 9002091696

15. Mahima - 7738379880

16. Candice Menezes - 9820233011

17. Prasad Reddy - 9910586744

18. Reny Rajan - 7406663770

19. Soyuz John - 8867604011

20. Vivyn Mathew - 8301938907

21. Manjula Basavaraju - 9972389423

22. Kanaka Latha - 9848035962

23. Silpa S Viswanath - 7406630889

24. Amaresha - 9449603952

25. Anand Jose K - 9972702560

26. Kannappa Shetty - 9900374900

27. Arun.S - 7406110130

28. A.Kulandausamy - 80565 02382

29. Ambuja - 9500057513

30. Indira Rani - 9849672378

31. Jyothsna - 9620191889

32. Rajaram - 9945556337

33. Noopur - 8884983301

34. Dhritishree - 9971290798

35. Rugozevou - 9686578358

36. Rameela - 9980463719

37. Dahun Shylla 9538552659

38. Bharath Bhushan - 9740963008

39. Prakashi Rajaram - 984512880

40. Joseph - 98800 74147

41. Divya Ballal - 78290 93355

42. Mariella Dsouza - 9886732970

43. Sojan Antony - 9663808626

44. Amit Singh - 8558841166

45. Manjusha Warrier G - 9916102196

46. Kurian Jose - 8547371926

47. Lithin Zacharias - 8547153316

48. Kavita Jangam - 9880496431

49. Supraja T A - 9742208980

50. Shari Tess Mathew - 8197299727

51. Baiarbha Massar - 9678398469

52. Smrutilekha Dash - 9437727181

53. James J.W. - 8904388334

54. Gayatri - 9739996335

55. Nishant kumar - 7355965824

56. Elizabeth K. Thomas - 9446134863

57. Divya A - 9895997286

58. Tesong Olive - 8729938514

59. Lokesh Kumar Ranjan- 9179199675

60. Sabana Nasrin Islam - 9401667977

61. Satabdi - 9416026739

62. Shrinivasa - 9916315729

63. Sadananda Reddy - 9483015824

64. Ganesh Lakshman - 9739967550

65. Benita Marian - 9444917911

66. Natasha Rayasam - 447830375184

67. Rose Mary Gangte - 9818260478

68. Bornali Das - 9435731497

69. M Atchyuta Rao - 9441320033

70. Budhiswatya Shankar Das - 9085664831

71. Pratima Mathur - +447875229271

72. E. Aravind Raj - 9901652974

73. Ophelia Fernandes - 9844545925

74. Anitha.S - 9961187941

75. Buli Nag Daimari - 8876678743

76. Dona Maria - 99167438378.

77. Birudu Raju - 9108883393

78. Panchali  Choudhury - 9085739875

79. Shrikant Shivaji Pawar - 9881430374

80. Pramod Kumar - 9964485045

81. Bibin VP - 860679364

82. Pallerla Srikanth - 9182333383

83. Rakesh Gurrapu - 8099665983

84. Ashok Kumar - 9701144639

85. Sreekanth. T - 8123573648

86. Marinella Humtsoe - +919531069685

87. Mamata Swain - 9955434047

88. Bharathy - (760)214-5184 

89. Elamurugu - 9080376495

90. Nibin Paul P - 9539439937

91. +91 98862 81220

92. Manasi -9973865862

93. Rajamanikandan - 9488165750

94. Bharath - 9445650216

95. Ashalatha - 9448686152

96. P S Yurthingla - 8826846335

97. Himanshu kr. Singh - 9868396882

98. M.Ranganathan - 9886013334.

99. Ananya sengupta - 9051604458

100. Apurba saha - 8402940967

101. Anshu som - 7065764350

102. Abhishek kumar - 9523176458

103. Rituparna Das - 9051485451

104. Pooja Audhya - 9836850316

105. Ankita - 95089 20119

106. Srinivasan Neelamegam

107. Atreyi Chstterjee - 9748722006

108. Pallavi Saxena - 9911631005

109. Lavina Noronha - 9449830186

110. Sangamitra - 9902229076

111. Anita Rego - 9849882788

112. Harshal Haridas - 8867478187

113. Sherin Yohannan - 9449187134

114. Shajan M A - 9947312546

115. Tansa - 7349449989

116. Patrick Jude - 8123915653

117. Lithin Zacharias - 8547153316

118. Prathwiraj Bajpe - 9743668539

119. Usha - 9448226696

120. Upmesh Talwar - 9311363029

121. Mutharaju Arelingaiah - 9008944821

122. Srinivasan - 8072243372

123. Sijo George - 8607658725

124. Renjith R Pillai - 8281066518. 

125. Upendra Singh - 9598633838

126. Ketki Ranade - 9860076567

127. Jayaprakash J K - 9619146436

128. Seema P. Uthaman - 9074277506

129. Rituparna Jash - 9836519915

130. Chandrima Banerjee - 9831401446

131. Velu - 7305571980

132. Arkita Pal - 9830907353 

133. M. Sampaul - 9489229540

134. Arun - 9946680294

135. VST Krishna - 9916475105  

136. Vishwesh K - 9900412603

137. Jeyaram - 9916904066

138. Thippeswamy V - 9972232524

139. Vinit Kumar Singh - 8123915901

140. Vasundharaa S Nair - 7411564435

141. Gayathri KR - 9819249832

141. Shanivaram Reddy - 9480747319 

142. Swarupa M U - 9008226570

143. Suresh Lukose - 9495221200

144. Deepthi Krishnan -  9961991021

145. Dr.senthil - 96262 68024

146. Chetan Diwan - 09850328350

147. Rajeev Kumar - 8051034448

148. Ranjana Stanly - 9746333541

149. Sarathi Hembram -  9861888243

150. Pomi mahanta - 9508773132

151. Kiran Panditi - 8106369992

152. Abhishek  - 9523176458

153. Karishma Khan - 9620638210 

154. Tejas Vasava - 8861193579

155. Alen Chandy Alexander - 8884843986

156. Meera Kumari - 8285245559

157. Upasana Baruah - 8618719056

158. Suman K Murthy - 9008646243

159. Albia Mary George - 9526514812

160. A. Thriumoorthy - 9731104879

161. Jean George 9343760156

162. Sarathi Hembram - 9861888253

163. Grace Khaute - 9008488471

164. Pomi Mahanta - 9508773132

165. Debashree Bora - 9986378982

166. Smitakhi Mahanta - 9101534054 

167. R. Shangmi Moyon - 9620727488

168. Indrajeet Banerjee - 9435704216

169. Suma Shetty - 9972279917

170. Rishi Panday - 9572614107

171. Rituparna Jash -9836519915

172. Misha Mariam  Thomas - +44 7438078390

173. Supriya Pattanayak - 7008281982

174. Spoorthy - 9481752435