Medical experts to interact directly with students through ‘Chief Minister’s Health Dialogue’ initiative
Mumbai, September 2026 : Health awareness among college students across Maharashtra will be promoted during the Navratri festival through a special nine-day initiative aimed at encouraging young people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Increasing screen time, inadequate sleep, unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and mental stress are leading many young people to neglect their health. Against this backdrop, the state will launch the ‘Chief Minister’s Health Dialogue’ initiative for the first time to create awareness about healthy living from a young age and help prevent lifestyle-related illnesses.
The initiative, conceptualised by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will bring professors and medical experts from universities and medical colleges across Maharashtra into direct interaction with students. The experts will engage with students on various aspects of physical and mental health and provide guidance on preventive healthcare.
Direct interaction with students
Students from medical, agriculture, engineering, science, commerce, arts and other disciplines will participate in the initiative.
Professors, heads of departments and medical experts from medical colleges in every district will interact directly with students. They will explain that neglecting health during youth can have consequences later in life.
The programme will emphasise that healthcare is not limited to seeking treatment after falling ill. Students will be encouraged to understand the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, mental health, staying away from addictions and undergoing timely health check-ups.
The initiative also aims to encourage students to share the information they receive with their families, friends and communities, thereby helping spread awareness about healthy living.
Key topics of discussion
The ‘Chief Minister’s Health Dialogue’ will focus on several issues affecting the health of young people, including:
- Changing lifestyles and their impact on youth health
- Balanced diets and changing eating habits
- Exercise and physical fitness
- Mental health
- Mobile phones, social media and increasing screen time
- Staying away from addictions
- Healthy lifestyles and building a healthier society
The initiative is being described as the first programme in the state to establish direct health-related dialogue with young people on such a broad scale.
With lifestyles changing rapidly, direct interaction with youth on health-related concerns has become increasingly important. Students will have an opportunity to openly raise their health-related questions and seek guidance from medical experts.
Rameshwar Naik, head of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Charitable Hospitals Assistance Cell, said the expert guidance provided through the programme would help students understand health issues and adopt healthier lifestyles.
The initiative is expected to provide young people with practical information on preventive healthcare and encourage them to make health and well-being a priority from an early age.
