The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

for the formulation, coordination and promotion of

biomedical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from " basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scienti ...

, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR is funded by the

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In 2007 the organization established the Clinical Trials Registry - India, which is India's national registry for clinical trials. ICMR's 26 national institutes address themselves to research on specific health topics like

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

, leprosy, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases, viral diseases including AIDS,

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology, reproduction, immuno-haematology, oncology, medical statistics, etc. Its 6 regional medical research centres address themselves to regional health problems, and also aim to strengthen or generate research capabilities in different geographic areas of the country. The council's research priorities coincide with National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases,

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Ferti ...

control, maternal and child health, control of

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficien ...

al disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and

occupational health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at ...

problems; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and haematological disorders; mental health research and drug research (including traditional remedies). These efforts are undertaken with a view to reduce the total burden of disease and to promote health and well-being of the population.

History

In 1911, the

set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. After independence, several important changes were made in the organisation and the activities of the IRFA. It was redesignated the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 1949, considerably expanded scope of functions.

Governing body

The governing body of the council is presided over by the

Union Health Minister The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is an Indian government ministry charged with health policy in India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India. The Minister of Health and Family Welfare ...

. It is assisted in scientific and technical matters by a scientific advisory board comprising eminent experts in different biomedical disciplines. The board, in its turn, is assisted by a series of scientific advisory groups, scientific advisory committees, expert groups, task forces, steering committees etc. which evaluate and monitor different research activities of the council. The council promotes biomedical research in the country through intramural as well as extramural research. Over the decades, the base of extramural research and also its strategies have been expanded by the council. Intramural research is carried out currently through the council's 30 permanent research institutes/centres which are mission-oriented national institutes located in different parts of India. The institutes pursue specific areas of research such as

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

, leprosy, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases,

viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...

diseases including Rotavirus, dengue,

, Ebolavirus,

Influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...

, Japanese encephalitis, AIDS,

, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology, reproduction, immunohaematology,

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

, and medical statistics. Six Regional Medical Research Centres address regional health problems, and also aim to strengthen or generate research capabilities in different geographic areas of the country. It has also been involved in research related to rare diseases like Handigodu syndrome.

Activities

Extramural research is promoted by ICMR by establishing Centres for Advanced Research in different research areas around existing expertise and infrastructure in selected departments of medical colleges, universities and other non-ICMR research institutes. The ICMR also funds task force studies which emphasise a time-bound, goal-oriented approach with clearly defined targets, specific time frames, standardised and uniform methodologies, and often a multicentric structure. Open-ended research is conducted on the basis of applications for grants-in-aid received from scientists in non-ICMR Research Institutes, Medical colleges and Universities located in different parts of the country. Collaborative research projects with other institutes such as that between Institute of Pathology, Delhi and NCRM are also undertaken. ICMR's

Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories The Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) scheme was introduced by the Government of India under Department of Health Research - Indian Council of Medical Research as outbreaks of viral agents is very common in India. The Central governm ...

(VRDL) for diagnosis of the viral and other infectious diseases is gradually evolving and is proposed to be the largest network of laboratories for timely identification of viruses and other agents causing morbidity significant at public health level and specific agents causing epidemics and/or potential agents for bioterrorism and undertake research for identification of emerging and newer genetically active/ modified agents. In addition to research activities, ICMR also provides international fellowship programme for research and training and exposure of Indian biomedical scientists in various countries as well as offering opportunities to scientists from developing countries to come and work in Indian institutes/laboratories. It is also the secretariat for Health Ministry's Screening Committee (HMSC) meeting organised monthly for consideration of international collaborative research projects. It also encourages human resource development in biomedical research through Research Fellowships, Short-Term Visiting Fellowships, Short-Term Research Studentships, and various training programmes and workshops conducted by ICMR institutes and headquarters. For retired medical scientists and teachers, the council offers the position of emeritus scientist to enable them to continue or take up research on specific biomedical topics. The council also awards prizes to Indian scientists, in recognition of significant contributions to biomedical research as well as those who work in the underdeveloped parts of the country. At present, the council offers 38 awards, of which 11 are meant exclusively for young scientists (below 40 years). The '' Indian Journal of Medical Research'' is published under the auspices of the council.

List of ICMR research facilities in India

National Institute of Nutrition The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) is an Indian public health, nutrition and translational research centre located in Hyderabad, India. The institute is one of the oldest research centres in India, and the largest centre, under the India ...

(NIN),

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research The National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research is an Indian Biomedical research facility, and vivarium under the Indian Council of Medical Research. The new 33rd flagship institute of ICMR was founded in 2015, at Genome Valley in ...

(NARF-BR),

* National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT),

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...

National Institute of Epidemiology The National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) is a medical research organisation located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. NIE conducts research including interventional studies, disease modelling and health systems, conducts epidemiological investigations ...

(NIE),

* National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR),

Noida Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Noida is a satellite city of Delhi and is a part of the National Capital Region (India) ...

National Institute of Malaria Research The National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), New Delhi, is one of the research institution of Indian Council of Medical Research under Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, established in ...

(NIMR),

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...

* Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), Patna *

National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health National Institute For Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH), is a Research institute of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It was previously known as the Institute of Research in Reproduction. It was established in 1970 ...

(NIRRH),

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

* National Institute of Virology (NIV),

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

* National Institute of Traditional Medicine (NITM), Belgavi * Microbial Containment Complex (MCC),

National AIDS Research Institute The National AIDS Research Institute (abbreviated to NARI) is a research institute, run by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. It was founded in ...

(NARI),

* National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad * National Institute of Pathology (NIP),

* National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS),

* Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Puducherry * National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED),

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

* National Institute for Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Jabalpur * National Center for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR),

Bengaluru Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

* Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Center (BMHRC),

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It ...

* National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH),

* National JALMA Institute for Leprosy & Other Mycobacterial Diseases (NJILOMD),

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

* Centre for Research in Medical Entomology (CRME),

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

* National Institute of Immunohaemotology (NIIH),

* Enterovirus Research Centre (ERC),

* Genetic Research Centre (GRC),

National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases The National Institute for Implementation Research in Non Communicable Diseases, Jodhpur came into existence on 07th December 2019. The institute is located in Jodhpur and it replaces the erstwhile Desert Medicine Research Centre. The institute con ...

(NIIRNCD),

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...

* Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC),

Port Blair Port Blair () is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division ('' tehsil'') of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South A ...

* Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC),

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango tr ...

* Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh * ICMR Virus Unit (IVU),

* Institute of Reproductive Medicine (IRM),

References

External links

Indian Council of Medical Research, Official website

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1948 establishments in India Medical research in India Organisations based in Delhi New Delhi Executive branch of the government of India Research institutes in Delhi Organizations established in 1948