The Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics (CMRP) at NISER is the first Department of Atomic Energy approved master’s program in Odisha dedicated to training medical physicists, who play a vital role in modern cancer care, imaging, radiation safety, treatment planning, and quality assurance. The centre was conceived to build a high-quality, application-oriented academic program with direct societal impact, while also establishing advanced laboratories and research capabilities relevant to healthcare and radiation sciences.
CMRP is the first program of its kind in Odisha and the first master’s-level program of its kind run by an institution of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. It is designed to help bridge the national shortfall of skilled medical physicists while fostering indigenous innovation in medical physics and radiation technologies.
Medical Physics is an applied branch of physics concerned with the use of radiation and physical methods in diagnosis, therapy, imaging, and radiological protection. As cancer incidence rises and radiotherapy and advanced imaging systems expand across the country, the demand for trained medical physicists is growing rapidly. India needs many more qualified professionals to support calibration, quality assurance, treatment planning, education, research, and radiation safety in hospitals and cancer centres.
NISER initiated the M.Sc. program in Medical and Radiological Physics in 2022 after receiving HBNI approval in 2020 and AERB approval in 2022. It is the only such program in Odisha and was designed from the beginning as a skill-based course with substantial real-world clinical relevance.
The program is carried out in partnership with Tata Memorial Centre, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Acharya Harihara Post Graduate Institute of Cancer, Cuttack, and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. These collaborations support teaching, laboratories, and the mandatory clinical internship required for professional training.
The course is a 2-year master’s program followed by a 1-year mandatory clinical internship in recognized hospitals. It is awarded through Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) and follows the requirements of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The program has 10 seats and is designed to combine a strong physics foundation with advanced training in radiological and medical physics.
Alongside education, CMRP is establishing advanced laboratories and applied research programs aimed at translating physics into tangible societal benefit. The centre has developed classrooms, a digital classroom, a computer laboratory, a library, a conference room, and multiple teaching laboratories. It is also building specialized capabilities in radiation dosimetry, calibration, detector development, and imaging-related instrumentation.
The first batch of the M.Sc. Medical and Radiological Physics program at NISER successfully completed both their academic coursework and the one-year mandatory clinical internship. All ten students of the 2022–2025 batch secured placements in reputed cancer hospitals and radiotherapy centres across the country, marking a significant milestone and a 100% placement record for the first graduating batch.
The program received crucial support from HBNI during approval and development, including valuable expert input on curriculum, infrastructure, and academic design. NISER is grateful to the expert committee chaired by Prof. B. S. Tomar, with contributions from Prof. M. S. Kulkarni and Prof. S. D. Sharma, and to the Board of Studies in Physical Sciences of HBNI for its guidance and recommendation.
The centre also acknowledges the sustained support of HBNI constituent institutions, especially Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). TMC units played a particularly important role by hosting students for the one-year mandatory clinical internship, thereby contributing directly to their practical training and successful placement.
CMRP reflects a broader vision of linking advanced physics training with healthcare, technology development, and societal need. By preparing highly trained professionals in medical and radiological physics, while also building laboratories and applied research programs, the centre aims to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s healthcare system and to strengthen radiation safety, medical technology, and indigenous capability in the years ahead.