Parliament Question: Research on Women's Health

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH RESEARCH LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3463 TOBE ANSWERED ON13TH MARCH, 2026 RESEARCH ONWOMEN'S HEALTH 3463.DR. BACHHAVSHOBHADINESH: SHRIVISHALDADAPRAKASHBAPU PATIL: ADVGOWAALKAGADAPADAVI: MS.PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE: Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether the Government has assessed the adequacy of dedicated budgetary allocations for research on women's health and well-being including reproductive and menstrual health, maternal morbidity, non-communicable diseases and gender-specific mental health concerns and if so, the detailsthereof; (b) the total funds allocated since 2014 for women's health research under bodies such as the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology, year-wise and scheme- wise; (c) whether the Government proposes to create an earmarked, separate and non-lapsable fund exclusively for women's health research along with details of the corpus, funding pattern and timeline; (d) if so, the detailsthereofand if not,the reasons therefor; (e) the detailsof institutional support proposed for universities andpublic hospitals; and (f) the reasons for the delay, if any, in allocation of funds in this regard along with steps to address gapsinwomen's healthresearch inthe country? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a)to(f): Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that the women’s health is a cross-cutting priority spanning multiple disease conditions and life-course stages. In ICMR, these priorities are identified and reviewed through national priority-setting exercises, expert consultations and assessment of burden-of-disease and programme evidence. Funding support by ICMR is providedthrough itsintramural andextramural mechanismsaswell asthrough Centres for Advanced Research, with proposals selected through a competitive peer-review process and aligned to identify national priorities. Research supported through ICMR spans a wide range of biomedical and publichealth domains and funding decisions are driven by scientific merit, evidence-based priorities and national health needs rather than predetermined gender specific budgetary allocations. ICMR also has a research institute, National Institute for Research inReproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH) inMumbai, undertakingresearch inreproductive healthof women. Its annualexpenditure since 2014 -15isgiveninAnnexure. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has informed that it supports projects on complex and multifacetedaspectsof women’shealthfrom menarchetomenopause includingreproductive biology, pregnancy complications, placental biology, and mechanistic paradigm governing the outcomes of pregnancy, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders specific to women. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT’s not-for-profit, Section 8 Public Sector Enterprise through itsGrand Challenges India (GCI) has supported dedicated funding calls focused onwomen’s health. These initiatives address maternal health, reproductive and menstrual health, nutrition, and related risks through targeted research and innovation programs. Year-wisefunding support provided bytheDBTsince2014-15forresearchinthedomainareaisalsogiveninAnnexure. Information provided by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) about total funds allocatedbyit since 2020-21 for women’shealthresearch isalso included inthe Annexure. Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) informed that the Government is implementing several nationalhealthprogrammeswhich generateevidenceandsupport research onwomen’shealth outcomes. Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), screening, prevention and management services are provided for major NCDs includingdiabetes, hypertension andcommoncancers(breast andcervical), which disproportionately affect women and contribute to gender-specific health burdens. Screening for breast and cervical cancer is being implemented as part of population-based screening under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which also facilitates data generation for research andpolicyplanning. *****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (f) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3463 FOR 13.03.2026 REGARDING RESEARCH ON WOMEN'S HEALTH Annual Expenditure of ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health(NIRRCH), Mumbaisince 2014-15: 2018-1 Year 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 9 2019-20 Rs. (inCrore) 31.77 42.87 47.42 84.52 61.08 56.34 Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Rs. (inCrore) 51.60 63.94 60.11 67.07 73.56 Year-wise funding support provided by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in the domain of women’shealthresearch since 2014-15: 2017-1 Year 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 8 2018-19 2019-20 Rs. (inCrore) 10.11 9.14 14.01 22.31 19.37 19.96 2023-2 Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 4 2024-25 2025-26 Rs. (inCrore) 17.2 29.91 10.4 20.87 26.45 11.94 Fundsallocated byCouncilof Scientific andIndustrialResearch (CSIR)for women’shealth research, year-wise Year-wise allocation(inlakhs) 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 656.01 3885 1964.5 1913.7 1743.8 1691.9 *****