C. R. Chandrashekar

C. R. Chandrashekar is a psychiatrist and former senior professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, often called the “people’s psychiatrist”. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of medicine, from Karnataka ^[1].

Career

He was born on 6 June 1948 and earned his MBBS from Bangalore Medical College in 1973, followed by a diploma and an MD in psychiatry from NIMHANS ^[2]. He joined the NIMHANS faculty in 1981 and worked in general, community and forensic psychiatry, later also serving as deputy medical superintendent ^[2].

Care close to home

Chandrashekar was among those who brought mental health services to people’s doorsteps across Karnataka, training workers of every kind to help ^[2]. His citation links this work to the National Mental Health Programme of 1982 ^[2]. With his team he designed the District Mental Health Programme in Bellary, which has since been taken up in more than 400 districts, so that mental health care is now available at primary health centres and taluk level ^[2].

He has worked to reduce the stigma around mental illness and has written books and more than 70 scientific papers on mental health, including as a WHO consultant ^[2].

Free treatment

Since 1980 more than a lakh patients have been treated free at the Prasanna Counselling Centre, and since 2007 more than 30,000 at the SAMADHANA free consultation centre he founded ^[2]. He has willed his property and earnings to NIMHANS ^[2].

His honours include national science-popularisation awards and Karnataka’s Rajyotsava award ^[2].