Sonam Ongmu Lasopa

SONAM ONGMU LASOPA is awarded the Keshav Desiraju Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service in Mental Health, 2025, for her noteworthy contributions to advancing mental health in Sikkim.  

Through her training as a Clinical Psychologist and successive leadership roles within the state, she has demonstrated a deep and sustained commitment to her field of work. As State Program Coordinator for the District Mental Health Programme and currently as Nodal Officer for the Sikkim INSPIRES Program, she has led several transformative initiatives, including the development of Sikkim’s first mental health and suicide prevention strategy.

 As the first Clinical Psychologist in the state, she moved beyond clinical duties to engage in community-based mental health initiatives. She led early identification of intellectual disabilities in children with iodine deficiency and built grassroots capacity. As Principal Investigator for the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) Project with NIMHANS, she helped develop a household-level screening tool to detect psychological distress and enable timely care.

Over the years, Dr Lasopa has taken on strategic roles that have shaped mental health policy, strengthened systems, and introduced digital innovations in care delivery. Her leadership enabled the notification of State Mental Health Rules, registration of mental health facilities under the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), and launch of the SWASTH-Mann self-screening app. She led the launch of Sikkim’s Tele-MANAS cell, expanding remote mental health services and enabling trauma-informed counselling during the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Floods. Her efforts in prevention-focused programming include the integration of life skills education into the school curriculum that is proposed to be implemented in more than 700 government schools in Sikkim. 

Dr. Lasopa’s leadership in crisis response, sustained community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration establish her as a key figure in public mental health in India.