Darez Ahamed

Darez Ahamed is awarded the Keshav Desiraju Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service in Mental Health, 2025, for his visionary leadership and systemic reforms that have significantly advanced mental health care in Tamil Nadu.

Through his role as an Indian Administrative Service officer and during his appointment as Director of the National Health Mission,  Tamil Nadu, he has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to strengthening mental health systems, suicide prevention, and cross-sector collaboration. Under his leadership, the state government signed its first-ever MOUs in mental health—with SNEHA for suicide prevention and SCARF for dementia care—marking a new era of partnerships with civil society organisations.

Dr Ahamed has led several impactful initiatives, including the ban on high-risk pesticides to reduce pesticide-related suicides, making Tamil Nadu the first state in India to take this preventive step. In 2023, during the wake of student suicides following the NEET examination , he mobilised counsellors through the 104 helpline to provide proactive outreach to over one lakh students. He also extended psychological support to medical students returning from Ukraine and played a significant role in drafting the Tamil Nadu Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Through his efforts, access to basic psychotropic medications at primary health centres has been ensured. Additionally, he also introduced a trauma systems approach through the Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Initiative (TAEI), linking pre-hospital, in-hospital, and rehabilitation care.

Dr Ahamed’s passionate advocacy for mental health, combined with system-level reforms and inclusive policy–making, make him a deserving recipient of this award.