India Launches CALM-Brain: First Psychiatric Data Repository

Name: CALM‑Brain (Collaborative Archive for Mental health – Brain)
Launch Date: 27 March 2026
Developed By: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro‑Sciences (NIMHANS) and National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), TIFR under the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind (CBM)
Funding: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Pratiksha Trust under the ADBS (Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells) project (initiated 2016)
Data Coverage: Clinical, neuro‑imaging, behavioural and genetic datasets covering addiction, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, etc.
Scale: Data from >2,000 individuals across 900 families
Linkage: Integrated with a stem‑cell biobank for experimental research
Primary Objectives: Identify biomarkers, understand disease progression, study treatment response, enable early diagnosis and personalised/precision psychiatry

Mental health disorders contribute to ≈15% of the global disease burden; in India, ~15% of the population (~200 million) suffers from some form of mental illness.
Historically, India lacked a centralised, open‑source repository for psychiatric research data, limiting large‑scale genomics and neuro‑imaging studies.
The ADBS project (2016) laid the groundwork by fostering stem‑cell based research; CALM‑Brain expands this to a comprehensive data platform.

Policy Alignment: Supports the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 by providing evidence‑based tools for early detection and treatment.
Research Boost: Enables Indian scientists to compete globally in neuro‑psychiatric research, fostering collaborations and attracting international funding.
Precision Psychiatry: Facilitates development of biomarker‑driven, personalised treatment protocols, reducing trial‑and‑error prescribing.
Capacity Building: Offers a training resource for clinicians, neuroscientists, and data scientists, enhancing interdisciplinary expertise.
Public Health Impact: Early diagnosis and tailored interventions can lower the socioeconomic burden of mental illness, aligning with Goal 3.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – reduce premature mortality from non‑communicable diseases.

Article 21 (Right to Life & Personal Liberty): Interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to health, encompassing mental health.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017: Guarantees right to access mental health care and treatment; CALM‑Brain can aid in fulfilling these statutory obligations.
Data Protection: Repository must comply with the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 ensuring confidentiality of genetic and health data.

Expansion to include additional disorders (e.g., autism, anxiety disorders) and larger cohorts.
Integration with AI/ML tools for predictive analytics.
Potential to inform policy revisions in NMHP and guide resource allocation for mental health services across states.

References

Brainoware (link provided in article)
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, National Mental Health Programme documents
Department of Biotechnology, ADBS Project reports