Medical Colleges Research Connect 2026 brings together 100+ medical colleges under the national health‑research push

According to a PIB release, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Smt. Anupriya Patel today inaugurated Medical Colleges Research Connect 2026, a two‑day national conference held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, bringing together over 100 medical colleges from across India. The event is organised by the Department of Health Research under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and serves as a platform for institutions hosting Medical Colleges Research Units (MRUs) set up under the Central Sector Umbrella Scheme for Establishment of Infrastructure for Promotion of Health Research in India.
According to the PIB release, the two‑day conference, held on 26–27 February 2026, will see MRU representatives presenting reports on their activities and participating in interactive lectures, workshops, and symposia on topics such as writing improved grant proposals, training opportunities, and technical aspects of biomedical research. The objective is to foster peer learning, share best practices, and strengthen institutional capacity for high‑quality health research, in line with the Government’s broader push toward Viksit Bharat–oriented innovation and self‑reliance in health‑research ecosystems.
The PIB release notes that the event was also graced by Dr. Abhijit Chandrakant Sheth, Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC), as a Guest of Honour. In her address, Smt. Anupriya Patel reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to promoting health research, praised the work being carried out in medical‑college research units, and urged faculty to further raise the standard of medical research to support India’s development goals.
This initiative is positioned as part of the Government’s wider effort to build a robust, decentralised health‑research infrastructure centred on existing medical‑college ecosystems, with a focus on measurable outcomes in biomedical research, training, and translational innovation.