Established by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Population Research Centre (PRC) at the Institute is credited with pioneering methodologies in demographic surveys. The PRC has undertaken studies on various dimensions of the family planning programme at its various stages starting with communication methods, adoption of spacing methods, maternal and child health, RCH approach of the programme, RTI/STI, client satisfaction, unwanted pregnancies, etc. The PRC has also undertaken evaluation of the work of NGOs in the field of family welfare. In recent years the Centre has undertaken evaluation of sterilisation bed reservation scheme, family welfare training institutions, functioning of ultrasound sonography centres, functioning of urban health posts, etc.
In the area of data collection on a wider scale, the Centre has participated in major evaluative and fact-finding surveys and analytical studies.
Some of the major studies undertaken in recent times include:
- Study on cost of health care in the public hospitals in Maharashtra
- World Bank-sponsored study on quality of health care (client and provider satisfaction).
- Demography of India’s tribal population
- Rapid Appraisal of National Rural Health Mission in Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra
- Seasonal Migration of Labourers in Maharashtra
- Safe Adolescent Transition and Health Initiative (SATHI): Midline Evaluation Survey of a Project for Improving the Reproductive Health of Married Adolescent Girls
- Long-Term Demographic Trends in North-East India
- Employment and its Linkages in Higher Education: An Analysis among Various Social Groups of India
- Online Verification of HMIS Data for Maharashtra
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Programme Implementation Plan, 2012-13 for Maharashtra
- Monitoring of DLHS-4 in Maharashtra