What is it that we call medical research? In 1953, Watson and Crick began their paper with ‘ We wish to suggest a structure for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid (D.N.A.). This structure has novel features which are of considerable biological interest’1 The first randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with positive outcomes were published in the late 1940s.2 The tumour-suppressor protein p53 discovered in 1979 continues to be studied.3 Medical research is thus a broad and vast tapestry that covers a wide range of disciplines that often intersect—biology, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology and pathology among others. Today, we also have an intersection with fields such as physics, radiation and even artificial intelligence as seen with baricitinib for Covid-19.4 The overarching goal though remains unwaveringly the same—a safe and better life for our patients. As a country, where do we stand in this regard? A study that evaluated research output from 579 Indian medical colleges from 2005 to 2014 showed that less than 5% institutions produced more than 100 papers annually but accounted for nearly 40% of the country’s research. A total of 332 of 579 (57.3%) medical colleges did not have a single publication during this time with states having the largest number of private medical colleges faring the worst.5 And then we have the problem of research fraud in India.6 Is this by any means just an Indian problem? Not at all.7 There are though at least a couple of problems that specifically impact India.
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