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The Indian Council of Medical Research, based in New Delhi, established the Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Center (BGDRC) in Bhopal in 1985 to conduct studies on the health effects of the disaster. Twenty-four projects were created that included documenting respiratory, ocular, reproductive, neurological, immunological, gastro-intestinal, muscular, genetic and psychological health effects. ICMR did not research how the disaster affected gynaecological, musculoskeletal, renal, and endocrine functions.

Over 80,000 exposed persons and over 20,000 unexposed persons were involved in the studies, many of whom gave samples of their blood, sputum, urine, semen etc.

In 1986 five projects were completed, and fourteen more by 1992. But in 1994 the Council terminated all studies on Bhopal without explanation. At that time eighteen project proposals were before the BGDRC and were under review by the committee.

The ban on medical research publications on the disaster imposed by the Government of India's Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers was lifted in 1996, but ICMR's long awaited reports were still not released.

Finally in 2005 one of the reports was published - a scanned copy in two parts is available here.

 - Health Effects of the Toxic Gas Leak from the Union Carbide Methyl Isocyanate Plant in Bhopal - Technical Report on Population Based Long Term, Epidemiological Studies (1985-1994)

Part One

Part Two  (PDF Files)

Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research