100 years of RINPAS: Postal stamp released, new initiatives unveiled

The Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS) marked its centenary on Thursday with a formal celebration inaugurated by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. On the occasion, a special postal stamp, a souvenir, and four books dedicated to the institute were released, while former directors, faculty members and senior staff were felicitated for their contribution.

Established in 1925, RINPAS has stood for a century as one of eastern India’s key institutions for psychiatric care and teaching. The Chief Minister described the founders of the institute as farsighted, saying the growing importance of such centres in present times underlined their vision. He congratulated all those associated with the institution for completing “a glorious hundred years of service, dedication, and trust.”

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The centenary was also marked by the launch of a Tele-Mental Health Video Conferencing Service and a Digital Academy, both intended to expand access to psychiatric treatment and improve training. Hemant Soren said the state would move towards adopting modern technologies in mental health care and assured that all digital facilities required at RINPAS would be made available.

The Chief Minister announced that the government would soon undertake a review of infrastructure and academic arrangements at RINPAS and address existing shortcomings. He said major changes would be visible in the institute in the coming days, with the aim of ensuring modern and effective treatment for patients.

At the same time, he expressed concern over the social stigma surrounding mental illness, noting that many families abandon their relatives at the institute and never return to take them back. In some cases, he said, patients are kept confined at home. “Such circumstances cannot be good for the individual or for society. We must ensure that our systems reach patients with ease and care,” he remarked.

Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Health Minister Irfan Ansari, legislators Rajesh Kachhap and Suresh Kumar Baitha, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajay Kumar Singh, NIMHANS Director Pratima Murthy, Chief Postmaster General Vidhan Chandra Roy, RINPAS Director Amool Ranjan Singh, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay and several other dignitaries attended the ceremony.