CANVAS OF THE MIND

Young Anvi Kumar of Gurugram is fighting for no taxes on mental health services with a PIL, and has drawn up comics to battle anxiety, exam stress...next up, comics on the effect of social media on the psyche

- PRIYAMVADA RANA

For any Class 12 student, march is all about burning the midnight oil — books, notes, and endless revisions. The board exams are in full swing, and the pressure is sky-high. But for 18-year-old mental health advocate Anvi Kumar, even in the thick of exam season, she takes out time to champion a cause close to her heart. “mental health is like a fireball in India. Whenever people hear it, they think of it as a stigma. Putting a hefty tax on it makes the services like doctor consultations, and therapy sessions even more inaccessible,” says the Gurugram-based schoolgirl who, last year, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government’s lack of clarity on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) applied to mental health services, specifically questioning the rationale behind the 18 per cent GST rate.

Taking note of her PIL, last month, SC served the notice to the Union of India, as well as the GST Council Secretariat to appear in court and called for examination of the matter. Kumar is happy that her efforts to spread awareness about mental health are being acknowledged.

Art-based therapy