📌 Topic 04 of 6 · Chapter 10 · Scientific Institutions of India

ICMR & Medical Research in India

ICMR oldest institution, Covaxin development, COVID-19 testing, AIIMS — complete notes for UPSC & PSC exams.

🏥 ICMR — Key Facts

Parameter	Details
Full Name	Indian Council of Medical Research
Founded	1911 (as Indian Research Fund Association — IRFA); renamed ICMR in 1949
Significance	Oldest scientific institution in India
Headquarters	New Delhi
Under	Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Institutes	26 national institutes + 6 regional medical research centres

🏥 ICMR’s Role in COVID-19

Collaborated with Bharat Biotech to develop Covaxin — India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine
Established India’s COVID-19 testing protocol — first RT-PCR test in India
Coordinated with NIV (National Institute of Virology), Pune — isolated SARS-CoV-2 virus in India
Conducted sero-surveys to estimate COVID-19 spread in India
Developed rapid antigen tests for COVID-19

🏥 AIIMS — All India Institute of Medical Sciences

India’s premier medical institutions — 25 AIIMS across India
First AIIMS: AIIMS New Delhi (1956) — established by PM Nehru
Declared Institutes of National Importance
Provide undergraduate (MBBS), postgraduate, and doctoral medical education
Conduct cutting-edge medical research
AIIMS New Delhi = India’s top medical institution; ranked among world’s best
NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) — Bengaluru — premier mental health institution

⭐ Key Facts:
• ICMR = 1911 = oldest scientific institution in India = New Delhi
• ICMR + Bharat Biotech = Covaxin = India’s first indigenous COVID vaccine
• NIV (Pune) = National Institute of Virology = isolated SARS-CoV-2 in India
• AIIMS = 25 institutions = premier medical education and research
• First AIIMS = New Delhi (1956) = PM Nehru

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