Indian council of medical research
Encyclopedia
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi
, the apex body in India
for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.
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, with considerably expanded scope of functions. The ICMR is funded by the Government of India
through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
.
The Council's research priorities coincide with National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility
control, maternal and child
health, control of nutrition
al disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable disease
s 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.
. 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 Advidsory 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 tuberculosis
, leprosy
, cholera
and diarrhoeal
diseases, viral
diseases including AIDS
, malaria
, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology
, reproduction, immunohaematology
, oncology
, 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
.
Dr. Katoch is the present Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research.
In addition to research activities, the ICMR 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. At present, the Council offers 38 awards, of which 11 are meant exclusively for young scientists (below 40 years).
problems, Neurological disorders, Blindness
, Liver
diseases, Hearing impairment, Cancer
, Drug abuse, Accidents, Disabilities etc.. Research on Traditional Medicine/Herbal Remedies was revived with a disease-oriented approach. Attempts have been made to strengthen and streamline Medical Informatics and Communication to meet the growing demands and needs of the biomedical community. The Council is alert to new diseases and new dimensions of existing diseases, as exemplified by the rapid organization of a network of Surveillance Centres for AIDS
in different states of India in 1986.
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, the apex body in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.
History
In 1911, the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
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, with considerably expanded scope of functions. The ICMR is funded by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the Indian government ministry charged with health policy in India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India....
.
The Council's research priorities coincide with National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
control, maternal and child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
health, control of nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
al disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable disease
Non-communicable disease
A non-communicable disease, or NCD, is a medical condition or disease which is non-infectious. NCDs are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. They include heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and...
s 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.
Governing body
The Governing Body of the Council is presided over by the Union Health MinisterMinistry of Health and Family Welfare
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the Indian government ministry charged with health policy in India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India....
. 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 Advidsory 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 tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and diarrhoeal
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
diseases, viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
diseases including AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
, reproduction, immunohaematology
Immunohaematology
Immunohematology, more commonly known as blood banking is a branch of hematology which studies antigen-antibody reactions and analogous phenomena as they relate to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of blood disorders. A person employed in this field is referred to as an immunohematologist...
, oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
, 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
Handigodu Syndrome
Handigodu Syndrome is a rare and painful osteoarthritic disorder endemic to the Malnad region in the state of Karnataka, India. Also known as Handigodu Joint Disease, it derives its name from the village of Handigodu in the Sagara taluk of the Shimoga district of Karnataka where it was first...
.
Dr. Katoch is the present Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research.
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, standardized 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.In addition to research activities, the ICMR 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. At present, the Council offers 38 awards, of which 11 are meant exclusively for young scientists (below 40 years).
Evaluation of work
In the context of the changing public health scene, the balancing of research efforts between different competing fields, especially when resources are severely limited, is a typical problem encountered in the management of medical research, particularly in developing countries. Infectious diseases and excessive population growth have continued to constitute the major priorities to be addressed in medical research throughout the past several decades. In addition to tackling these issues, in recent years, research has been intensified progressively on emerging health problems such as Cardiovascular diseases, Metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus), Mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems, Neurological disorders, Blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, Liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
diseases, Hearing impairment, Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Drug abuse, Accidents, Disabilities etc.. Research on Traditional Medicine/Herbal Remedies was revived with a disease-oriented approach. Attempts have been made to strengthen and streamline Medical Informatics and Communication to meet the growing demands and needs of the biomedical community. The Council is alert to new diseases and new dimensions of existing diseases, as exemplified by the rapid organization of a network of Surveillance Centres for AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in different states of India in 1986.
Institutes under ICMR
- National Jalma institute for Leprosy & Other Mycobacterial Diseases (NCJILOMD), AgraAgraAgra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
- National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), AhmedabadAhmedabadAhmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
- Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- National Institute of Malaria ResearchNational Institute of Malaria ResearchThe National Institute of Malaria Research , New Delhi, is an autonomous body under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. established in 1977 as 'Malaria Research Centre', which was renamed as 'National Institute of Malaria Research' in November 2005...
(NIMR), DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census... - Desert Medicine Research Centre (DMRC), JodhpurJodhpurJodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
- Institute of Pathology (IOP), DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
- National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS), DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
- National Institute of Nutrition, HyderabadNational Institute of Nutrition, HyderabadThe National Institute of Nutrition is an Indian education and research facility located at Osmania University in Hyderabad. The institute operates under the Indian Council of Medical Research for India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare...
(NIN), - National Centre for Laboratory Animal Science (NCLAS), Hyderabad
- Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre (FDTRC), Hyderabad
- National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
- Centre for Research in Medical Entomology (CRME), MaduraiMaduraiMadurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
- National Institute for Research in Reproductive HealthNational Institute for Research in Reproductive HealthNational Institute For Research in Reproductive Health , is a Research institute of the Indian Council of Medical Research . It was previously known as the Institute of Research in Reproduction...
(NIRRH), MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... - National Institute of Immunohaemotology (NIIH), MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- Enterovirus Research Centre (ERC), MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- Genetic Research Centre, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), NoidaNoidaNoida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical SciencesRajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical SciencesThe Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , which is located at Agam Kuan, Patna, Bihar, India is a permanent research institute of the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi and an autonomous body of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.-Location:It...
, PatnaPatnaPaṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world... - Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Pondicherry
- Microbial Containment Complex (MCC), PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
- National Institute of Virology (NIV), PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
- National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...