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Mental health is an integral and essential part of overall health of children. There is no health without mental health. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. It refers to the maintenance of successful mental activities, i.e Maintaining realistic awareness of self Recognition of own emotions and express them properly Maintaining relationship Maintaining productive daily activities Maintaining the ability to adapt to change and cope with stresses According to WHO Mental Health is "A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". In this positive sense mental health is the foundation for well being and effective functioning for an individual and for a community. Mental health refers to full and harmonious functioning of our total personality as well as to our bio-socio- psychological and spiritual well being. Mental health is far more than the absence of mental illness. Happiness, peace of mind, satisfaction in achievement and enjoyment of life are all aspects of mental health. A person who has good mental health adjusts well with himself and his environment. In India it is often seen that people are less aware about mental health and its related problems. They are not concerned unless it becomes a major problem requiring medical treatment. These problems are required to be identified at the developmental stage for proper intervention. A few epidemiological studies have been carried out in different parts of the country in different socio cultural environment. But it is felt that data so gathered are not adequate to generalize the problem for the whole country. Mental disorders are seen to vary across time, within the same population at the same time. This dynamic nature of the psychiatric illness impacts its planning, funding and healthcare delivery (Venkatashiva Reddy B et al. 2013). As such it is necessary that many more epidemiological studies are conducted in different parts of the country at different time in same or different socio-cultural settings and particularly among adolescent school going children to formulate a proper mental health policy and programme.