The Government of Andhra Pradesh, in partnership with Australia’s Rebound Group Global Ltd. and with the support of the Australian Government, launched the Digital Mental Health Platform (DIMPLE) as a pilot initiative in selected schools across the State. The programme was inaugurated at GDET High School, Patamata, in Vijayawada on Saturday.Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner of Higher Education Narayana Bharath Gupta said the State government was committed to introducing innovative reforms in the education sector. He said Andhra Pradesh had brought school education, intermediate education, higher education and skill development under a unified Human Resource Development (HRD) Department, enabling a coordinated approach to educational transformation.Mr. Gupta said the State was implementing the Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh (LEAP) initiative to strengthen education through digital integration, teacher recruitment, professional training and the modernisation of learning systems. He said the DIMPLE pilot project was in line with the Supreme Court’s emphasis on student mental health and would be evaluated before any decision on scaling it up.Australia’s Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill said Andhra Pradesh had taken an important step by prioritising student well-being. He observed that mental and physical health were as important as academic achievement and noted that while technology offered several benefits, social media could also contribute to stress among young people. In this context, he said, digital tools that promoted mental wellness assumed significance.Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rebound Group Todd King said the DIMPLE platform had been developed after several years of research. The application enables students to access mental health resources anonymously and connect confidentially with trained counsellors when required. He expressed confidence that Andhra Pradesh’s initiative could serve as a model for promoting student mental health across India and the wider South Asian region.The Australian delegation comprised Silai Zaki, Consul-General; Cameron Green, Chief of Staff; Damien Oliver, Acting First Assistant Secretary; George Thiveos, Minister-Counsellor; Steven Biddle, Regional Director, Home Affairs (South Asia); Janaki Sreeram, Consul General of India in Sydney; Karthikeyan Vaitheeswaran; and Priya Raja.Among those present from the Department of School Education and Samagra Shiksha were M. V. Krishna Reddy, Director, SCERT; K. Nageswara Rao, Additional Director (SAMO); G. Nagamani, Regional Joint Director, Kakinada; L. Chandrakala, District Educational Officer, NTR district; R. Ramesh Babu, APC, Samagra Shiksha; and Headmaster M. Srinivasa Rao. Published - August 01, 2026 09:13 pm IST