The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.

It contributes significantly to the formulation of policy at the national level through the translational component of research output of its constituent institutions. ICMR has promoted Evidence Based Medicine in India by funding an Advanced Center for EBM (2007-2011) that hosted the South Asian Cochrane Network & Centre (SACNC) at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. In 2007, ICMR procured a national subscription to The Cochrane Library making it accessible to all Indian scientists. This was a major achievement that opened the doors of EBM in India. Accessibility of the Cochrane library through a national subscription led to an increase in the number of contributors to the Cochrane collaboration from India.

In another initiative, ICMR established an Advance Center for Evidence-Based Child Health (CAR EBCH) at the Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh since 2011. Through its capacity building component, CAR EBCH is training students and young faculty of medical colleges in various parts of India.

Being an apex national organization in health research in India the priorities of the Indian Council of Medical research align with the national health priorities. At present, during the Covid -19 pandemic ICMR is steering the fight against the disease, at the national level. Enabling Evidence to policy translation is reflected as the 4th pillar in the ICMR Strategic Plan and Agenda 2030 document. Many ICMR research outcomes have benefitted the national disease control programs and helped in reducing the disease burden in the past. ICMR aims to strengthen evidence based approach for policy making in the country. To this effect a Health Technology Assessment Board (HTAIn) is fully functional to facilitate introduction of indigenously developed affordable technologies, devices and products for the use of a common man.

It is important to maximize knowledge translation activities and create enabling environment for bridging the research and policy gap. At this juncture the Cochrane Affiliate Centre at ICMR aims to facilitate the ongoing translation of Evidence to policy activities. The shared conceptual clarity among researchers and policy makers about the scope and nature of health research to be conducted would be maximized. A strategy to close the ’know-do- gap’ to promote evidence would be facilitated by the activities undertaken by the Cochrane Affiliate Centre at ICMR.

Dr. Anju Sinha, Scientist Consultant would lead the ICMR Cochrane affiliate centre as the Director. A Technical Advisory Committee, Chaired by Prof.. R.M.Pandey, Head Dept. of Biostatistics, AIIMS. New Delhi, Prof. Sree Kumaran Nair, Dept. of Medical Biometrics & Informatics, JIPMER, Puducherry and Prof. G. Karthikeyan, Dept of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi. Would guide and support the activities of the ICMR Cochrane Affiliate Centre.

All above members are on pay roll of their Institutions and would devote 20% of their time towards activities of the ICMR Cochrane Affiliate centre.