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For a three-year term, Dr Rajiv Bahl has been named the new director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and secretary of the health department. At the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Bahl presently oversees the research on maternity, newborn child, and adolescent health in the maternal, neonatal child, and adolescent health and ageing department. The extended term of his predecessor, Dr. Balram Bhargava, as secretary of the Department of Health Research and director general of ICMR concluded in July. On April 16, 2018, Bhargava was chosen for the position for a four-year term. The Cabinet’s Appointments Committee has approved Dr. Rajiv Bahl’s appointment.
Key Takeaways
- The World Health Organisation now employs Dr. Rajiv Bahl, appointed on Friday to a three-year term as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Secretary of the Department of Health Research.
- The news coincides with Dr. M. Srinivas’ appointment as AIIMS-New Delhi’s director.
- Bahl is currently in the Department of Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the WHO in Geneva and the Head of Research in the Maternal, Newborn Child and Adolescent Health-cum-Newborn Unit.
About Dr. Rajiv Bahl
Bahl joined WHO in 2003 and is currently in charge of coordinating research and the creation of guidelines for the care of pregnant women, new mothers, children, and adolescents. He received his PhD in public health while completing his paediatric training in Delhi, India. He spent ten years as a Senior Scientist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences before joining WHO. Bahl is the research director for the World Health Organization’s departments of adolescent health, ageing, and maternal and newborn health (WHO). He will serve as the department of health research’s secretary and become the ICMR’s director general (DHR).
Recent Announcement
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, a well-known WHO official, was recently appointed Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). On September 23, 2022, the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, issued the order appointing him. Bahl will succeed Dr. Balram Bhargava because of the expiration of his extended term as the DG, ICMR, and Secretary of the Department of Health Research in July. Deepti Umashankar, the secretary of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, and the establishment officer issued the directive. The letter was sent to several relevant authorities, including the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, the secretary to the President of India, and others. Following the DHR April advertisement, 35 individuals submitted applications to the central government for the top director position, ICMR. One of the world’s first organisations for medical research, ICMR, New Delhi, is the supreme body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. The leading medical research organisation encourages and funds internal and external research projects in infectious and non-infectious disorders and basic medical sciences. There are 27 ICMR institutes spread across India. This premier medical research centre significantly contributed to developing research-based scientific proof and pandemic-fighting strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICMR
One of the world’s first medical research organisations, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, is the supreme body in India for formulating, coordinating, and promoting biomedical research. The ICMR has always tried to balance practical answers to the nation’s health concerns with the expanding need for scientific advancements in biomedical research. The ICMR has made significant progress from its beginnings as the IRFA. However, the Council is aware that there is still much work to be done to reach scientific and health goals. Research on significant non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, loss of vision, diabetes, and other metastases is also prioritised by the Council following national health priorities like control and management of infectious diseases, fertility control, maternal and child health, control of nutritional disorders, development of alternative strategies for health care delivery, and containment of occupational and environmental health issues within safe limits (including traditional remedies). All of these initiatives aim to improve population health and well-being while lowering the overall burden of disease.
The Union Health Minister is in charge of the Council’s Governing Body. A Scientific Advisory Board of renowned professionals in several biomedical disciplines supports it in scientific and technical problems. Several Scientific Advisory Groups, Scientific Advisory Committees, Expert Groups, Task Forces, Steering Committees, etc., support the Board by evaluating and overseeing the Council’s various research initiatives. The Council encourages both intramural and extramural biomedical research throughout the nation. The Council has grown the foundation for extramural research over the years, as well as its methods.
Mission, Vision, and Mandates
Mission
- Create, control, and spread new knowledge
- Increased attention should be paid to studies of the health issues that vulnerable, underprivileged, and marginalised parts of society face
- Utilise and promote the use of contemporary biological techniques to address national health issues
- Encourage the development of new technologies for prevention, treatment, and diagnosis
- Enhancing facilities and people resources instils a culture of research in academic institutions, particularly medical colleges and other institutions engaged in health research
Vision
Actionable Research Translation for Population Health Improvement
Mandates
- Planning, coordinating, and advancing biomedical research
- Conduct, plan, and carry out medical research to benefit society
- Creating products and processes from medical breakthroughs and integrating them into the public health system
ICMR Human Resource Development Schemes
The ICMR supports HR development for biomedical research through several programmes, including:
- Studies Fellowships (Junior and Senior Fellowships and Research Associateships)
- Fellowships for Short-Term Visits (which allow scientists to learn advanced research techniques from other well-established research institutes in India)
- Grants for Short-Term Research Studies (for undergraduate medical students to encourage them to familiarise themselves with research methodologies and techniques)
- Workshops and Training Programs Offered by ICMR Institutes and Headquarters
- Emeritus Scientists are retired medical researchers and educators with a position allowing them to research a specific biomedical topic.
- Prizes given to Indian scientists, both young and experienced, to appreciate their essential contributions to biomedical and health research.
Everyone is looking for a shift in thinking that will alter the ICMR’s interactions with residents across the country. The nation expects the vision that the ICMR harbouring will carry its lineage through this new director selection.
