Budget 2026: Sitharaman Announces NIMHANS 2.0 for North India, Mental Health Boost

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced NIMHANS 2.0 for North India in Budget 2026-27 to address regional gaps in mental healthcare.
• The new institute aims to provide a national-level facility in North India, complementing the existing NIMHANS in Bengaluru.
• National mental health institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur will be upgraded to regional apex institutions.
• Emergency and trauma care capacities in district hospitals will increase by 50%, with new critical care centers established.
• CIP Ranchi, established in 1918, has proposed a 500-bed new hospital with neuro-surgery, neurology, and pediatrics departments as part of its upgrade.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 prioritizes mental health with a new NIMHANS in North India and upgrades to existing facilities.