Team

Ms. Aakansha Kulkarni

Aakanksha Kulkarni is a graduate in psychology from Mumbai University. She completed her MA in Social Work Mental Health from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in 2018. She enjoys working with people and her interests lie in mental health advocacy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and getting to know new people.

Mr. Arjun Kapoor

Arjun is currently a Research Associate at the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy. Prior to this, in 2012, he completed his B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. He was subsequently appointed as Law Clerk cum Research Assistant to the Supreme Court of India. He then went on to work with Centre for Social Justice, Ahmedabad where he was engaged in developing socio-legal interventions on access to justice. In 2017, Arjun completed his M.A. Psychology (Psycho-Social Clinical Studies) from Ambedkar University, Delhi before joining the Centre. His areas of interest range from law & development, mental health policy and psychology.

Mr. Chetan Kusalkar

Chetan is a graduate in B. Com and LLB from ILS, Pune. After his graduation in law, he pursued his Masters in Community Organization and Development Practices from TISS, Mumbai. With immense interest in community engagement, Chetan is passionate about action based interventions with people and their social behaviour. Other interests lie in playing and listening to music.

Dr. Deepa Pandit

Dr. Deepa Pandit Agrawal (Doctorate in Biometry and Nutrition, qualified UGC-NET in the subject of “Social Medicine and Community Health”) currently working as statistician at Centre for mental health law and policy, ILS. Key skills and area of interest:

Study design, data analysis and interpretation, writing manuscripts in peer review journals
Project monitoring and evaluation, conducting nutritional surveys; planning and managing interventions
Statistical applications: SPSS, STATA

Current Publications: 16 articles in peer reviewed journals

Ms. Gauri Damle

Gauri, Alumni of TISS, graduated with a Master’s degree in Disability Studies and Action. Having accomplished the International diploma in Mental Health, Human Rights and Law, she also recently completed a pilot project, QualityRights, in collaboration with I.L.S (Pune), Government of Gujarat and WHO which aimed at improving the quality of life of people with mental illness in six mental health facilities of Gujarat. Passionate about working in the social sector, Gauri envisages for an inclusive society that embraces diversity and respects the rights and dignity of all. Thankful for being blessed with loving family and friends, she spends her free time with them.

Ms. Jasmine Kalha

Jasmine Kalha has an M.Phil in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, before which she had completed her Master of Arts in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Her area of work focuses on mental health, gender, and human rights. She started her journey at CMHLP in 2014 by coordinating implementation research work in QualityRights Gujarat, after which she was the project manager for Atmiyata Gujarat, in the district of Mehsana. She is currently the Programme Manager and Research Fellow at CMHLP, working on SPIRIT (Suicide Prevention and Implementation Research Initiative) Gujarat. She is a consultant at Tata Trusts, for QualityRights intervention at Nagpur Mental Hospital, Maharashtra (Udaan). Additionally, she is an online coach for QualityRights e-training by WHO, Geneva

Dr. Kaustubh Joag

Dr Kaustubh Joag is a psychiatrist and working as a senior research fellow at the Centre from 2009. He is leading a community based project called ‘Atmiyata’. The project aims to improve access to mental health and social care in rural parts of Gujarat. He has a special interest in improving access to mental health care and reducing a psychosocial care gap in community. He also coordinate ‘International Diploma in Mental Health, Human Rights and Law’.

Ms. Madhumitha Balaji

Madhumitha is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy. She is the Principal Investigator for a research project which aims to understand reasons for suicide attempts in young people in India, conducted by Sangath, Goa in collaboration with the Centre. Over the last 10 years, she has been involved with coordinating and implementing research projects in India that have developed and evaluated low cost, feasible and effective interventions for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. Her research interests span mental health services research; complex interventions; youth mental health; and severe mental illness.

Dr. Nikhil Jain

Nikhil is an aspiring public health professional, currently posted as a Research Associate at the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, ILS Pune for SPIRIT project in Gujrat. Prior to this, in 2015, he has completed his Bachelor's in Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery from Rani Durgavati Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. Post that, in 2018, he completed his Master of Public Health in Social Epidemiology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He has also completed Diploma in Family education and HIV AIDS from IGNOU along with his parallel degree in Science. His area of interest ranges from health systems project management, policy formulation, advocacy and biostatistics and is passionate to bring some real-time changes in Indian health systems. In spare time he enjoys playing the guitar, writing short poems and watching movies.

Neha Kulkarni

Neha Kulkarni completed her master’s in Clinical Psychology from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2015 and worked as a school counsellor before joining Leeds University Business School in 2017 for pursuing MSC in Organizational Psychology. She is a Graduate member of British Psychological Society (BPS), member of Divisional Occupational Psychology (DOP) and a qualified test user (OTU)- Ability and Personality. Her research interests include generations at the workplace, emotional intelligence, bullying and work values. She is currently working as a Research Assistant at the Centre of Mental Health Law and Policy.

Ms. Renuka Nardodkar

Renuka Nardodkar is working at CMHLP for the regulatory affairs and data management of the Suicide Prevention and Implementation Research Initiative (SPIRIT) funded by National Institutes of Health. She holds doctoral degree in mental health, law and human rights from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Renuka has been involved in conducting scientific and legal research to advance human rights advocacy for persons with mental health problems nationally and internationally. Her work has specifically revolved around reviewing mental health legislation, marriage, employment, property-related legislation in the context of international human rights treaties; and building a case for psychiatric advance directives and health insurance for persons with mental illness in India

Ms. Sadhvi Krishnamoorty

Sadhvi Krishnamoorthy is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, and a Programme Manager for Atmiyata and SPIRIT. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Delhi University and a Master’s degree in Counselling from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Right after completing her post graduate degree in Counselling, she joined the centre as a Research Assistant on the QualityRights Gujarat project, which worked towards systemic improvement in the quality of services delivered by mental health facilities in Gujarat. She also got an opportunity to be a part of International Diploma in Mental Health, Human Rights and Law. Her work has helped her broaden her perspective towards translating rights into practise, whether it be within institutions or in communities.

Dr. Soumitra Pathare

Soumitra Pathare (Course Co-ordinator) is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Director of Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy at ILS. He has contributed to the WHO Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package. He has worked as a consultant in various countries like Seychelles, Eritrea, Indonesia, Lesotho, Samoa and Vanuatu assisting them in developing mental health policy and drafting and implementing mental health legislation. He helped draft India's new mental health law and was a member of the Policy Group appointed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, to draft a new national mental health policy for India. He was the Project Lead on QualityRights Gujarat project to implement WHO QualityRights program in public mental health services in Gujarat. He is also Project Director of SPIRIT, a NIMH funded Hub for suicide prevention in South East Asia. He is also a member of the ATMIYATA team which is scaling up a lay volunteer based community program to improve access to mental health services in rural Gujarat.

Ms. Priyanka Kusmude

Completed M.Com from B.M.C.C. in 2014 & D.T.L. from ILS Law College in 2013.She is working as Accounts Assistant in Indian Law Society from Nov 2015. Her total Work Experience in accounts and Taxation field is 7 years.

Ms. Shubhangi Puranik

Shubhangi Puranik has done M.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Pune. She works in the Indian Law Society as Computer Assistant since 1993.

Mr.Yogesh Sonawane

Yogesh Sonawane has done B.Com. from BMCC. He works in the Accounts Department of the Indian Law Society since 1999.