Appreciation from Readers
Reading your post... has been an exhilarating academic experience. In the Indian setting, such a constructive write up… makes one feel that the future of the field of Psychology in India is very bright indeed. Over the years, I have had the good fortune of coming across brilliant young minds both in India and abroad. Continuing to have such good fortune is indeed gratifying.
— Prof G.G. Prabhu, Founding General Secretary, Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP)
I have enjoyed reading your past posts to the Indian Psychologists listserve and I now subscribe to Psytizenship. You seem quite knowledgeable about the Mental Health and Counselling/Psychotherapy situation in India, particularly for psychologists, and I think your background in both psychology but also policy/law provides some relatively unique strengths.
— Prof Robinder P. Bedi, University of British Columbia
Your content is so good [that] it should be taught in Psychology class as a subject.
— Jasbir Kaur Thadhani, Head, Counseling and Psychometrics, Mehrizm Foundation, and Visiting Faculty, Rashtriya Raksha University
[psytizenship] is hands down the best newsletter in the field in India and urges you to go beyond your traditional classroom understanding of the discipline.
— Kantadorshi Parashar, Clinical Psychologist
Excellent and timely initiative! I look forward to more.
— Shobna Sonpar, Clinical Psychologist and Co-Editor, Surviving on the Edge: Psychosocial Perspectives on Violence and Prejudice in India
Psytizenship, by Ajay Gulzar, offers great insights on the intersectionality of psychology, law and policy. Whether one is into clinical practice, research or teaching, it's imperative not just to be informed of these concepts, but also to understand what it means to us and try our best to spread awareness and contribute to socially relevant research.
— Chetan SV, Clinical Psychologist and PhD Candidate, IIT Hyderabad
There is nowhere else I would rather go for educating myself in this area.
So glad to have you in this field! I'm sure you'll be known as one of the prominent change-makers across India in the coming years.
— Shailesh Jaiswal
[Ajay Gulzar’s] tireless efforts to educate the masses, to encourage us to demand a change in the current Mental Health policies are just commendable.
— Divisha Singh
About Ajay
I am Ajay Gulzar, a man with Zero Anxiety Disorder, which is often disrupted by frustration over the fact that the psychologists in India pay zero attention to policy issues. National Health Policy 2017, National Mental Health Policy 2014, Mental Healthcare Act 2017, National Education Policy 2020, National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Act 2021, you name any relevant Indian law or policy and you would find that the role of the psychologists in their drafting process is virtually non-existent. Why is it so? Why is it that the psychologists do not speak on policy matters concerning them? Why is it that they do not write to governments and legislators? Why is it that the mental health policy issues are not part of curricula and classroom discussions in psychology departments? I want to change this scenario.
Making mental health policy issues mainstream is the mission of psytizenship.
Over the last few years, my scholarly interests have been at the intersections of psychology, policy, and law. I have advocated for the formation of an independent, statutory National Psychology Council and therefore, have written articles critically evaluating the legislation for "allied and healthcare professions."
Prior to this, I was a Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow. I have completed my bachelor's & master's degrees in psychology from University of Delhi, where I was awarded a scholarship by the University Grants Commission for being a university topper. Currently, I work with a Member of Parliament as the Head of Research.
Why subscribe to psytizenship?
The questions I put across in the beginning require contemplation and action, and it is not only psychologists who are responsible for their irrelevance in policy making process. Both the professionals and the public need to ensure that the mental health is addressed with as much gravity and fairness as the other health issues in this country. For that we require a civil society aware of its mental health rights and relevant policies & legislation. To achieve this goal, let us be fellow travellers in this journey of making mental health policy mainstream. To do so, please subscribe to psytizenship. The subscription will get you:
Analysis and commentary on latest developments at the intersections of psychology, policy and law
Deep dives into mental health related policies and laws
Investigations into government structures which impact your health and well-being, and
Your active interest in mental health policies and laws.
For any queries or suggestions that you may have, I am accessible through Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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