National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases

The National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases Or NIIRNCD (ICMR-NIIRNCD) (formerly known as DMRC, Jodhpur), is one of the permanent institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a Government of India’s apex autonomous organization for bio-medical research in the country. Realizing the importance of research needs of existing and emerging health problems of desert, ICMR decided to establish a Centre in Rajasthan with a definite mandate to undertake and promote research on health problems specific to desert areas, study the changing patterns of health problems especially in view of various developmental activities taking place in the region and strengthen the scientific and technical expertise of state as well as local health agencies.
The Centre, established on 27 June 1984, started functioning in the form of three co-ordinating units located at Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Jaipur. The positioning of the three units in three areas of Rajasthan, represented a desert health study unit at Jodhpur, a unit representing desert area with developmental activity (Indira Gandhi Nahar Priyojna) at Bikaner and a non-desert area represented by the Jaipur unit. A comprehensive baseline health survey in three units was undertaken to have scientifically generated observations on the health profile of the region and factors associated with the morbidity pattern. With the completion of baseline health survey, all the units of the Centre were merged to form a unified research Centre at Jodhpur in the year 1992.