 
Lycee francais international de Pondichery (LIFP), is a part of the The Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) network. LIFP has recently entered into a partnership with Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, a constituent unit of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Deemed to be University, Pondicherry, for fostering Mental Health programme among School Children, Prof. Nirmal Coumare, Director of Health, Hospitals and Outreach programmes, SBV, while speaking at the event, highlighted the importance of the Mental Health among School children, especially in view of the gullible age, changing physiological milieu and superimposed psychosocial attributes encompassing the school children, it is imperative to promote holistic and sustained mental health said Prof. Nihar Ranjan Biswas, Vice Chancellor, SBV informed that The World Health Organization (WHO) has strongly recommended mental health intervention at the schools to be enabled at four levels. This multilevel programme has to be essentially adopted in our country because of our variegated socioeconomic environment.
Prof. Avudaiyappan, Professor of Psychiatry, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute drew reference to the inter-sectoral role aimed at promoting mental health and succinctly explained the multipronged approach that will be facilitated towards conferring comprehensive mental health on the young minds in LIFP.
The partnership agreement was signed by Prof. Nirmal Coumare on behalf of SBV and Mr. Jean Marie YHUEL, Principal, LIFP. Mr. Jean Marie YHUEL expressed hope that the scope of the partnership comprising screening, diagnosis, counseling, certification of the disability, informing the parents and caretakers of their ward’s mental health status from time to time would help enable service to the school going community especially at a time when both the French and the Indian Governments are laying utmost emphasis on School Mental Health.
