Lok Sabha Question No. 3463 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Research on Women's Health
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi, Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil, Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh, Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3463 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 TH MARCH, 2026

## RESEARCH ON WOMEN'S HEALTH

3463. DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH: SHRI VISHALDADAPRAKASHBAPU PATIL: ADVGOWAALKAGADAPADAVI: MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (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 details thereof;
- (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 schemewise;
- (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 details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) the details of institutional support proposed for universities and public hospitals; and
- (f) the reasons for the delay, if any, in allocation of funds in this regard along with steps to address gaps in women's health research in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO 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 provided through its intramural and extramural mechanisms as well as through 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 public health 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 in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH) in Mumbai, undertaking research in reproductive health of women. Its annual expenditure since 2014 -15 is given in Annexure.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has informed that it supports projects on complex and multifaceted aspects of women ' s health from menarche to menopause including reproductive 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 its Grand Challenges India (GCI) has supported dedicated funding calls focused on women ' s health. These initiatives address maternal health, reproductive and menstrual health, nutrition, and related risks through targeted research and innovation programs. Year-wise funding support provided by the DBT since 2014-15 for research in the domain area is also given in Annexure.

Information provided by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) about total funds allocated by it since 2020-21 for women ' s health research is also included in the Annexure.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) informed that the Government is implementing several national health programmes which generate evidence and support research on women ' s health 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 including diabetes, hypertension and common cancers (breast and cervical), 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 and policy planning.

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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), Mumbai since 2014-15:

| Year           | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   | 2018-1 9   | 2019-20   |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| Rs. (in Crore) | 31.77     | 42.87     | 47.42     | 84.52     | 61.08      | 56.34     |
| Year           | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25    | 2024-25   |
| Rs. (in Crore) | 51.60     | 63.94     | 60.11     | 67.07     | 73.56      | 73.56     |

Year-wise funding support provided by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in the domain of women ' s health research since 2014-15:

| Year           | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-1 8   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|-----------|-----------|
| Rs. (in Crore) | 10.11     | 9.14      | 14.01     | 22.31      | 19.37     | 19.96     |
| Year           | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-2 4   | 2024-25   | 2025-26   |
| Rs. (in Crore) | 17.2      | 29.91     | 10.4      | 20.87      | 26.45     | 11.94     |

## Funds allocated by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for women ' s health research, year-wise

| Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   | Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   | Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   | Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   | Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   | Year-wise allocation (in lakhs)   |
|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2020-21                           | 2021-22                           | 2022-23                           | 2023-24                           | 2024-25                           | 2025-26                           |
| 656.01                            | 3885                              | 1964.5                            | 1913.7                            | 1743.8                            | 1691.9                            |

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