Mpower’s Project Mann Supports Mental Health of Over 75,000 CISF Personnel and Families

New Delhi, July 30, 2025: Mpower, a mental health initiative of the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), in collaboration with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), has successfully provided mental health support to more than 75,000 CISF personnel and their families under its flagship initiative, Project Mann. The program’s progress was jointly reviewed by Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of ABET, and CISF Director General R.S. Bhatti, IPS.

Launched under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November 2024, Project Mann has focused on building mental health awareness, providing clinical interventions, and training personnel in psychological first aid. A total of 8,506 CISF officers and sub-officers have been trained to identify and address low-risk mental health concerns and escalate more serious cases to professionals.

A significant component of the initiative has been psychometric assessments of 21,000 personnel stationed at high-sensitivity units such as IGI Airport, Parliament, and Delhi Metro. These assessments have helped in the early detection and intervention of issues including depression, financial stress, and marital discord.

Highlighting the impact of the initiative, DG CISF R.S. Bhatti said, “Mental health is as mission-critical as physical fitness for our personnel. This initiative strengthens our internal support systems and ensures that our personnel remain emotionally resilient, focused and operationally ready.”

Mrs. Neerja Birla added, “Our long-term partnership with CISF is a testament to what can be achieved when mental health is institutionalized. Over the past three years, Project Mann has supported more than 75,000 personnel with counselling, psychometric screening, peer engagement and a 24×7 helpline across CISF units nationwide. We appreciate CISF’s commitment to holistic well-being of integrating wellness protocols and care into daily system resulting in a 40% reduction in suicide incidents as a positive outcome.”

The success of Project Mann has also coincided with a decline in CISF’s suicide rate, now below the national average, underscoring the program’s effectiveness.

Mpower and CISF have committed to continuing their collaboration, with plans to deepen support and outreach across CISF units in the future.