Dimapur, September 14 (MExN): The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on September 11 formally extended its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mpower, a mental health social enterprise under the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), for an additional three years. The renewal follows the successful implementation of Project Mann, a mental health initiative jointly undertaken by CISF and Mpower, founded by Neerja Birla.
During the event, the MoU was signed by Parveen Sheikh, President of Mpower, and Sudha Senthil, Vice President of Sanrakshika. The initial MoU for Project Mann was signed by CISF with Mpower in November 2024 for one year. Over the past year, more than 75,000 CISF personnel and their families have benefited from professional mental health services under the programme. Suicide rates within CISF have declined below the national average in 2024 and 2025, according to the release.
Services are currently being provided by 23 Mpower counselors and clinical psychologists across 13 CISF sectors. With the extension of the MoU, the number of counselors will be increased to 30, and services will be expanded to additional locations including Patna, Ahmedabad, Prayagraj, Bhopal/Indore, Jammu, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Cochin.
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The benefits of Project Mann cited in the release include reducing stigma around mental health, encouraging early help-seeking behaviour, supporting emotional resilience and coping strategies, ensuring continuity of care even in remote or high-security locations, and helping reduce absenteeism, burnout and long-term psychological issues.
Speaking on the occasion, DG CISF R.S. Bhatti said, “The well-being of our personnel is paramount to maintaining operational excellence. Through our continued partnership with ABET, we aim to ensure that our force remains mentally resilient, emotionally strong, and fully prepared for meeting the challenges of national security.”
Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust, stated, “At Mpower, we believe mental health is central to overall well-being and our continued partnership with CISF under Project Mann reflects our shared commitment to institutionalizing it. Over the next three years, we are scaling the program to ensure CISF personnel and their families have access to the care and sustainable support they need. This is a significant step toward building a culture where mental resilience is recognized as strength and emotional well-being is truly prioritized.”
The release was issued by Sandeep Kumar, Deputy Commandant/CASO, CISF Unit ASG Dimapur.
