Dr Banal elected president, Dr Rather Gen Secretary of JK Psychiatric Society

Srinagar, Jun 9: Dr Rakesh Banal has been elected President while Dr Yasir Hassan Rather has been elected General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society.

A statement of the JK Psychiatric Society issued here said that following a successful and transparent electoral process, Dr Rakesh Banal was elected President while Dr Yasir Hassan Rather, Professor at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Srinagar, has been elected General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society. It said that the election, overseen by the Societyís Election Commission, was conducted following democratic norms.

The key highlight of the election was the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reach every member and conduct polling online, resulting in a voter turnout of over 95 percent. Candidates submitted formal nominations for various positions, and electronic voting was held on May 29.

The final results were declared the same day at 12:30 pm.

The Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society, which is affiliated with the Indian Psychiatric Society, functions as the principal professional body for mental health specialists in the region.

Alongside Dr Banal and Dr Rather, the newly elected office bearers include Dr Mansoor Ahmed as Vice-President and Dr Nizamuddin Dar as Treasurer.

Dr Sabreena Qadri will serve as Editor while Dr Majid Shafi and Dr Akhil Menia have been appointed Joint Secretaries for the Kashmir and Jammu divisions. Dr Javid Ahmed Sheikh has been named Coordinator and Dr Yuman Kawoos will serve as the societyís spokesperson.

The new Executive Committee comprises Dr Seema Batool Shah, Dr Mir Humanyun Majeed, Dr Rayees Ahmad Wani, Dr Parul Gupta, Dr Sukrita Sharma, Dr Fazl-e-Roub, Dr Rehana Amin, Dr Ubaid Rasool, Dr Rajinder Kumar, Dr Shabir Ahmad Dar, Dr Tajamul Hussain, Dr Syed Karrar Hussain, and Dr Nikhil Gupta.

The election process was completed under the supervision of senior psychiatrists from across Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K Psychiatry Society officials emphasised that the procedure adhered to the highest standards of transparency and inclusivity.

In a statement following the results, the society reaffirmed its commitment to advancing mental health care across J&K.

The newly elected leadership pledged to intensify efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and to address the growing challenge of substance misuse in Jammu and Kashmir.