The government has issued a draft National Health Research Policy for 2026. It aims to better match scientific work with disease patterns and public health goals while restructuring the research system around local innovation, evidence-based decisions and clear results.
The Department of Health Research prepared the document, the first unified national plan covering biomedical science, clinical work, public health, epidemiology, digital health, health systems, behavioural studies and new technologies.
The ministry seeks comments from interested parties before finalising the policy. It targets long-standing issues such as scattered research efforts, uneven regional capacity and slow use of findings in care and policy.
India has developed strong institutions including the Indian Council of Medical Research, universities and medical colleges, yet capability stays concentrated in limited centres and states. Research priorities often fail to reflect actual disease burden, system gaps, equity issues or readiness for future health crises. Administrative delays continue even when funds are available.
The draft proposes regular reviews of priority areas based on disease load, scientific potential, equity, pandemic readiness and national interest, developed with input from states, researchers, professionals, patients and communities.
It outlines a three-tier structure: a national stewardship committee for strategy, the Department of Health Research as the main agency, and the ICMR for scientific leadership. States are expected to link research more closely with local programmes.
The policy calls for expanded infrastructure, a stronger workforce, fewer regulatory hurdles and wider collaboration among institutions, academia, industry and nonprofits. Ethics, data governance and community involvement are central.
Research assessment will move beyond publications and patents to measure contributions to policy, practice, local technologies and societal impact. Long-term national targets cover investment levels, doctoral degrees, publications and approved indigenous health technologies.
