The Lok Sabha has passed the NIMHANS Bangalore Bill 2012. The much-coveted academic autonomy through an Act of Parliament came in on September 4, 2012. With the Bill being tabled, Dr P Satish Chandra, director and vice chancellor, said that it would now make a big difference to the Institute by giving it academic autonomy, besides formally recognizing it as an institute of national importance.
Now National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) is on par with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi; Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh; and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, which have been declared centres of national importance.
“This is for the first time that an Institute of mental health has been given such an importance. The institute will work independently, both academically and in the field of research, and would not require any consent to begin any new courses or have any collaboration or tie-up with other national or international institutions. Further, all grievance of medical negligence from any of the staff member of the Institute would be handled by the panel of officials from the Institute itself,” said the NIMHANS director and vice chancellor.
From an academic perspective, the Institute can increase the number of postgraduate seats. Presently, there are 22 postgraduate students for psychiatry, 21 for psychology, 21 students of psychiatric social work, and only 10 students from neurology.