About PRC

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) established a network of Population Research Centres (PRCs) with the mandate to provide, inter alia, critical research based inputs related to the Health and Family Welfare Programs and Policies at the national and state levels. These PRCs were established to undertake research projects relating to family planning, demographic research and biological studies & qualitative aspect of population control, with a view to gainfully utilize the feedback from these research studies for plan formulation, strategies and modifications of on-going schemes. Autonomous in their functioning, these PRCs are provided 100 per cent central assistance in the form of grant-in-aid on a year-to year basis.

Presently, there are 18 PRCs in India of which 12 are located in Universities while 6 are in Institutes of repute scattered over 17 major States of India. The first PRC was established at the “Institute of Economic Growth”, University of Delhi, in 1958 and the last at “Dr. H.S. Gour Central University”, Sagar in 1999.The details of all the PRCs with their years of establishments - [Click Here].

Since inception, PRCs have been involved mainly in research and studies related to the Health and Family Welfare Programs and Policies at the national and State level. Some of the PRCs are also taking up international level projects and works. Till now, the PRCs have completed numerous of research studies and conducted various Seminars/Workshops of National/State level, besides publishing a number of books. However, the quality of their performance varies from PRC to PRC to a great extent. Since 2013-14, PRCs are involved in the monitoring of State Programme Implementation Plans (PIP) under National Health Mission (NHM) in addition to their research work.

They are also involved in the quality assessment of Health Management information System (HMIS), launched in October 2008, which aims to collect information on some critical indicators related to the health sector. The PRCs examine the data quality of HMIS through field visits, data analysis and give their findings to the States.

Activities of PRCs are monitored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through regular periodical progress reports and meeting, seminars etc. Besides, guidance is also provided by various institutions as well as committees both at State and national level constituted by the Ministry from time to time.