It may be rather late in the day but the government has finally realised the need for promoting research which would address the immediate requirements of the country. The Ministry of Helath and Family Welfare has identified priority areas for research in reproductive health. The effort, one of the first by a developing country, has been made to ensure that research programmes being undertaken in India are directed towards its needs and not for the benefits of the outsiders. The "key researchable issues" having a national perspective, include the fresh initiatives of the Reproductive and Child Health Care Programme.