No live animals for education, research
The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has prohibited the use of live animals in dissection and other experiments in educational and research institutions, reported The Times of India. However, scientists conducting new molecular research will be exempted from the ban.
The MoEF has issued guidelines to the University Grants Commissions (UGC), ministry of health and family welfare, Pharmacy Council of India and the Medical Council of India, based on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960), to stop dissection and experiments with live animals in universities, colleges, research institutes, hospitals, laboratories.
According to MoEF, the central government is obligated to use substitutes in order to prevent unnecessary suffering or pain to animals. The ministry proposed alternatives like CDs, computer simulations and mannequin models instead of using live animals. (Read more...)
The guidelines were framed as per the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments and Animals (CPCSEA), which was formed under the provisions of Section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960).
Mangal Jain, a nominee of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC), appointed CPCSEA told TOI that animal experiments should be banned in all institutes except for the purpose of new molecular research. Sometimes, in laboratories, a lot of work is repeated and animals become unnecessary victims. Only scientists researching on a new molecular theory can experiment on animals. In medical and pharmacy colleges, there is unwanted cruelty towards animals which can be avoided. (Read more...)
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