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Govt acknowledges gender bias in medical research; cites funding push for women’s health

The Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has also funded women’s health research through a dedicated vertical, spending Rs 50.5 crore over the last five years.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 17, 2025 09:15 AM IST

Research supported through ICMR spans a wide range of biomedical and public health domains, including women’s health-related conditions, with funding decisions guided by scientific merit and national health priorities. (representative image/ Pexels)

The Union government on Tuesday acknowledged that gender bias in medical research and clinical trials has been noted globally, including differences in disease manifestation and treatment outcomes among women, particularly in areas such as heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and chronic pain.

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In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said that sex- and gender-related considerations in biomedical research are recognised in scientific literature, and ethical frameworks require that exclusion or unfair bias on grounds such as sex or gender be avoided.

The minister said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) follows its Biomedical Ethics Guidelines (2017), which emphasise fairness in participant selection and equitable protection of research subjects. Research supported through ICMR spans a wide range of biomedical and public health domains, including women’s health-related conditions, with funding decisions guided by scientific merit and national health priorities.

ICMR’s overall research grants have increased substantially over the past five years, rising from Rs 2,358 crore in 2021–22 to Rs 3,125.50 crore in 2025–26. While no separate proportion of funding exclusively earmarked for women’s health was specified, the minister said that multiple projects involving women’s health issues are supported through both extramural and intramural programmes.

He also said that the ICMR’s National Institute of Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH), Mumbai, focuses on improving women’s reproductive health and child health outcomes. A total of Rs 304.35 crore has been spent by the institute over the last five years.

In addition, the Department of Health Research runs a Women Scientist Programme under its Human Resource Development for Health Research scheme to support women researchers returning to biomedical research after career breaks. Since 2021–22, fellowships worth Rs 50.43 crore have been awarded, supporting 215 women scientists.

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The Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has also funded women’s health research through a dedicated vertical, spending Rs 50.5 crore over the last five years.

On measures to ensure adequate female representation in research, the minister said that ICMR’s National Ethical Guidelines mandate fair and scientifically justified participant selection. Ethics Committees are required to review study protocols to prevent unwarranted exclusion and ensure appropriate safeguards.

He added that the National Ethics Committee Registry for Biomedical and Health Research, operational since 2019, has registered 1,793 ethics committees to oversee biomedical and health research involving human participants.