Dr Janardhan Reddy Appointed Interim Director of NIMHANS in Bengaluru

Dr Janardhan Reddy, Dean of Research and the seniormost faculty member at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, has been appointed as the institute's new interim director.

Dr Reddy will take over from incumbent interim director Dr Prabha Chandra, whose tenure ends on August 31 upon reaching the age of 65. Dr Chandra had assumed the interim role on March 14 this year, following the tenure of former full-term director Dr Prathima Murthy. Dr Reddy will serve in the interim position until the Central government officially appoints a regular, full-term director.

Dr Reddy is a senior professor of psychiatry at NIMHANS and an acclaimed specialist in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He heads the OCD clinic at the institute, overseeing clinical services, postgraduate training, and psychiatric research. His broader areas of specialization include OCD and related disorders, bipolar disorders, and clinical psychopharmacology.

Dr Reddy completed his MBBS from the Government Medical College in Ballari in 1986, and later earned his MD degree in psychiatry from NIMHANS in 1991.

The search for a full-term director at NIMHANS remains underway. According to sources, 14 candidates applied for the post, and their interviews were conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in July.

Out of the 14 applicants, eight are internal candidates from NIMHANS. The remaining applicants represent institutions across the country, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Delhi, the Trauma and Emergency Care Centre (TECC) at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry.

The final appointment of the regular director will require formal approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).