The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is the main

professional organization A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and th ...

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

s in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It was founded in 1929 under the banner of the Royal Medico Psychological Association. Its current president is Dr. N.N. Raju.

Founding

The organisation holds its origins in 1929, when Berkeley Hill founded the Indian Association for Mental Hygiene. In 1935, the Indian division of the Royal Medico Psychological Association was formed due to the efforts of

Banarasi Das A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sa ...

. In 1946, Dr. Nagendra Nath De consulted Major R. B. Davis of the Hospital for Mental Disease,

Kanke Kanke is a census town in the Kanke CD block in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Kanke has a large water reservoir called Kanke Dam, which is used to supply water to Ranchi city. Geography ...

Ranchi Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area o ...

, and Brigadier Thomas Arthur Munro, Advisor in Psychiatry to the Indian Army, decided to revive the association. Due to their efforts, the Indian Psychiatric Society was inaugurated.

''Indian Journal of Psychiatry''

The IPS operates the

Indian Journal of Psychiatry The ''Indian Journal of Psychiatry'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed open access medical journal. It is published by Medknow Publications on behalf of the Indian Psychiatric Society. It covers research in all fields of psychiatry. Each year, the ...

, whose chief editor is Dr. Om Prakash Singh. It has once discussed the widely held practice of covert medication in its July 2012 issue of its publication due to the effort of Anirudh Kala.

Overview & Objectives

IPS is the largest professional body of psychiatry in India, whose stated aims are to: *''promote and advance the subject of Psychiatry and allied sciences in all their different branches,'' *''promote the improvement of the mental health of the people and mental health education, promote prevention, control, treatment and relief of all psychiatric disabilities, formulate and'' *''advise on the standards of education and training for medical and auxiliary personnel in psychiatry and to recommend adequate teaching facilities for the purpose,'' *''promote research in the field of psychiatry and mental health, propagate the principles of psychiatry and current development in psychiatric thought,'' *''deals with any matter relating to mental health concerning the country and'' *''to do all other things as are cognate to the subjects of the Indian Psychiatric Society, *safeguard the interest of psychiatrists and fellow professionals in India and'' *''promote ethical standards in the practice of psychiatry in India''

Publication

The Indian Psychiatric Society publishes its own journal,

Controversies

In 2013, it was reported that the then-incoming president of IPS, Indira Sharmam had delivered a speech which recommended marrying off men at a younger age to prevent sexual crimes against women. Subsequently, it was also reported that high-ranking IPS officials were ordering IPS members to abstain from communicating with media houses to prevent any further controversy and negative press. The IPS officials also convened a meeting to discuss whether to publish her speech on the IPS website, or to censor the controversial sections. At the January 2014 annual meeting of the Indian Psychiatric Society, and i
subsequent remarks to the press
Dr. Sharma, then the Immediate Past President, engendered even more controversy by stating that homosexuality was unnatural, homosexuals can be cured, and that by talking openly about sex homosexuals were making everyone else uncomfortable. Dr. A.K. Kala, a senior member and Chairperson of Mental Health Legislation Committee requested the IPS President to post the official position of the IPS about homosexuality on its website. When that did not happen, Dr. Kala resigned from the membership of IPS, possibly the only Psychiatrist to have ever done so.

Ambassadors

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most p ...

is the brand ambassador for the Indian Psychiatric Society.

References

External links

Indian Psychiatric Society

Indian Journal of Psychiatry

Indian Psychiatric Society - Tamil Nadu Chapter

27 th annual state conference at thanjavur
{{authority control Mental health organisations in India Psychiatric associations 1929 establishments in India Organizations established in 1929