To promote and support research environment in country’s medical colleges and hospitals, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an autonomous body under Department of Health Research (DHR), is supporting research activities in 119 medical colleges and hospitals. Further, Department of Health Research (DHR) has set up 92 Multi-Disciplinary Research Units (MRUs) and 118 Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) in various medical colleges. Besides this, the Department also supports competitive health research and human resource development in medical colleges/hospitals under the schemes of “Grant-in-aid” (GIA) and “Human Resource Development” (HRD).

In order to enhance the research activities for better and time bound output, multi-centric projects are initiated with a nodal lab and DHR-Indian Council of Medical Research coordinates the activity.

Government possesses the data relating to year-wise sanctioned projects/researchers of GIA and HRD schemes is available with DHR. Further, DHR and ICMR maintains a portal of women researchers in biomedical research in the field of medical sciences.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.