Scientist G & Director

National Institute of Occupational Health is a premier public health institute, which was established in 1966 as Occupational Health Research Institute (OHRI), taking 2 rooms at BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad. The OHRI was later renamed as “National Institute of Occupational Health” (NIOH) in 1970 and was moved to its present premises. Since then till now, NIOH has been working continuously through its main as well as two of its regional centres – Bangalore & Kolkata. Our primary responsibility is to support the national policy makers for adopting an appropriate policy in the field of occupational health, based on felt needs of our country. This is done through multi-disciplinary research, capacity building and technological development. Considering quantum of burden of occupational diseases, >90% of our workers work in the unorganized sectors. Priority-wise we have a focus on working towards dust related respiratory morbidities (such as silicosis, anthracosis, byssinosis etc.).