HT Bureau
NAMSAI, June 6: The Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS), Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), organized a “Co-development Workshop” with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of RGU as part of an ongoing research project focused on reducing suicide risk and promoting mental well-being among school and college students.
The workshop was chaired by Prof. Jumyir Basar, Director of AITS, and saw the participation of key stakeholders including Dr Tana Takum, Nodal Officer, Department of Health Services, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; Dr David Pertin, Joint Registrar, RGU; Dr Proshanto Kr Saha, Head of the Department of Psychology; Dr Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, Head of the Department of Social Work; and Dr Tarun Mene, Principal Investigator of the project, along with other team members.
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In her opening remarks, Prof Basar emphasized the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to address the complex and sensitive issue of suicide prevention among youth. The workshop commenced with the formal felicitation of TAC members and government representatives, followed by a contextual briefing by Dr Mene, who laid out the project’s agenda.
Dr Kakali Goswami, Co-Principal Investigator, presented an overview of the project’s goals, methodologies, and implementation framework. Her session was followed by Dr. Tadu Rimi, Project Research Scientist-II, who shared key findings from the formative and pilot phases. These insights included challenges, expectations, and feedback from school authorities, students, and researchers involved in the field.
The TAC members offered critical recommendations on the draft operating guidelines for co-development and convergence strategies aimed at improving mental health outcomes and suicide risk mitigation in educational settings. Once finalized, these guidelines are expected to play a vital role in strengthening partnerships between the state government and academic institutions.
The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks from Prof. Basar, who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries and participants for their valuable contributions and support towards the initiative.
