In a bold move advocating for mental health affordability and transparency, 17-year-old Delhi student Anvi Kumar, founder of The Mind Canvas and a student at The Shriram School Aravali, Gurgaon, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Supreme Court of India. The petition challenges the government's lack of clarity on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework applied to mental health services, specifically questioning the rationale behind the 18% GST rate.
This legal step follows Anvi’s Right to Information (RTI) application, filed on September 13th, which sought explanations from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore regarding the tax categorization. However, the response left many critical questions unanswered, including whether the government had conducted research or engaged stakeholders before implementing the tax, and how the tax impacts the affordability and accessibility of mental health care.
A particularly ambiguous response from NIMHANS stated that "GST is generally not applicable to Mental Health Services." Yet, other answers failed to align with this, leading to confusion over which mental health services are exempt from the tax. This inconsistency has raised concerns about the transparency of the policy-making process and the lack of clear communication surrounding GST’s impact on mental health care.
Anvi’s PIL aims to address these ambiguities, pushing for more informed, research-based decisions that prioritize the accessibility and affordability of mental health services. Alongside the PIL, she has also launched a Change.org campaign to build public awareness and gather support for transparent policies on mental health care. Her petition can be found at Change.org campaign link.
Through this initiative, Anvi Kumar and The Mind Canvas seek to ensure that mental health services are treated with the seriousness they deserve, advocating for policy changes that reflect their crucial role in overall healthcare.
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