Govt cuts health research fund by 25 pc
With revised estimates for rest of the financial year starting to come in, the Department of Health Research (DHR) has seen a 25 per cent reduction in funds at its disposal. In Union Budget 2015-16, the department was allocated Rs 1,000 crore by the government. However, now it has been told it will get only Rs 750 crore. The DHR secretary, meanwhile, claimed that fund crunch and tougher clinical trials norms were adversely impacting critical research. “Finances are crucial to conduct world class research. Field studies too are cost intensive, requiring investment in manpower technology etc. Budget cuts across the board in the last few years has affected research. In the 12th five-year plan, DHR was allocated Rs 10,000 crore but only 50 per cent of that has been released so far. That’s why research is not on track… stringent clinical trial norms have affected academics more than industry. That’s why we are in talks with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) so that trial...