New Delhi, April 18 2012 (IANS) The ministry of environment and forests
has issued guidelines to stop experimentation on animals for training
undergraduate and post-graduate students in colleges and to instead use
alternatives such as computer-aided simulators for the purpose.
"The guidelines were issued to the Medical Council of India (MCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and University Grants Commission (UGC) recently. PETA is planning to donate free anatomy and physiology software to colleges," animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said in a statement Wednesday.
The ministry in the guidelines said that according to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, experiments on animals must be avoided when other tools were available for teaching.
"By eliminating experimentation on animals, the government is taking education forward and making sure that students are provided modern teaching tools like computer models", Chaitanya Koduri, PETA science policy adviser, said.
"Compassionate students across the country will now be able to learn without being forced to hurt and kill animals in the classroom," he added.
The MoEF says that the central government is duty-bound to use alternatives to avoid unnecessary suffering or pain to animals.
It states that effective alternatives in the form of CDs, computer simulations and mannequin models are available; they are not only effective as absolute replacements for animals in teaching anatomy or physiology but are also superior learning tools in teaching of pharmacy or life sciences.
The guidelines were framed based on the duties of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments and Animals (CPCSEA), which has been constituted under the provisions of Section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960).
The committee comprises seven nominees - three nominees appointed by CPCSEA and the rem-aining four from educa-tional institutes.
"The animal experiments should be stopped 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. These guidelines mention imprisonment for five years and monetary penalty," said Mangal Jain, a nominee of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC), which is appointed by CPCSEA.
some discussion
"The guidelines were issued to the Medical Council of India (MCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and University Grants Commission (UGC) recently. PETA is planning to donate free anatomy and physiology software to colleges," animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said in a statement Wednesday.
The ministry in the guidelines said that according to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, experiments on animals must be avoided when other tools were available for teaching.
"By eliminating experimentation on animals, the government is taking education forward and making sure that students are provided modern teaching tools like computer models", Chaitanya Koduri, PETA science policy adviser, said.
"Compassionate students across the country will now be able to learn without being forced to hurt and kill animals in the classroom," he added.
The MoEF says that the central government is duty-bound to use alternatives to avoid unnecessary suffering or pain to animals.
It states that effective alternatives in the form of CDs, computer simulations and mannequin models are available; they are not only effective as absolute replacements for animals in teaching anatomy or physiology but are also superior learning tools in teaching of pharmacy or life sciences.
The guidelines were framed based on the duties of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments and Animals (CPCSEA), which has been constituted under the provisions of Section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960).
The committee comprises seven nominees - three nominees appointed by CPCSEA and the rem-aining four from educa-tional institutes.
"The animal experiments should be stopped 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. These guidelines mention imprisonment for five years and monetary penalty," said Mangal Jain, a nominee of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC), which is appointed by CPCSEA.
some discussion
Vishwendra (USA)
19 Apr, 2012 10:24 AM
People who think animal research is bad should immediately boycott use of modern medicines and procedures completely. No, even use of Disprin (aspirin) is not allowed. They should not give any modern medicines to there children, parents, or to any of their loved ones including the pets when they fall sick, because those medicines were also tested on animals when they were being developed. In earlier generations when TB was incurable, Plague used to wipe off cities after cities, Polio used to cripple thousands and thousands of children, at that time scientists did not face as much resistance and thus they were able to fight off such diseases. Now we do not think these diseases as much of a threat. However, now diabetes is a problem, hypertension is a problem, cancer is a problem. Look around you. someone or the other is already affected by these diseases in most of the families now a days. Understanding the complexities of such diseases is already hard and challenging enough. Please do not make it harder. Ultimately either you or your children or your loved ones are the one who will be suffering. I understand that we should not be cruel towards animals and animal cruelty should definitely be minimized or stopped. But stopping animal research should not be the 1st on agenda, it should rather be the last.
19 Apr, 2012 10:24 AM
People who think animal research is bad should immediately boycott use of modern medicines and procedures completely. No, even use of Disprin (aspirin) is not allowed. They should not give any modern medicines to there children, parents, or to any of their loved ones including the pets when they fall sick, because those medicines were also tested on animals when they were being developed. In earlier generations when TB was incurable, Plague used to wipe off cities after cities, Polio used to cripple thousands and thousands of children, at that time scientists did not face as much resistance and thus they were able to fight off such diseases. Now we do not think these diseases as much of a threat. However, now diabetes is a problem, hypertension is a problem, cancer is a problem. Look around you. someone or the other is already affected by these diseases in most of the families now a days. Understanding the complexities of such diseases is already hard and challenging enough. Please do not make it harder. Ultimately either you or your children or your loved ones are the one who will be suffering. I understand that we should not be cruel towards animals and animal cruelty should definitely be minimized or stopped. But stopping animal research should not be the 1st on agenda, it should rather be the last.
leena (india)
18 Apr, 2012 04:22 PM
Obviously the division on this topic will be between researchers(using animal models) and non-researchers who will welcome the verdict!I do work on animal models and my take is that in bachelors level basic science courses, live animal models may be done away with.But in every step of biotechnology,genetics,neuroscience,pharmacology research animals are utilized in some capacity. Even when animals are not directly sacrificed, they have to kept in facility for antibody production.Without animal sacrifice, no tissue pathology(where different proteins may be overexpressed/inhibited in an animal & its effects seen...the idea is to mimic and understand disease progression) studies can be conducted.For any vaccine development live animals have to be used. The day is yet to come when the virtual reality can replace actual living animals in every aspect of investigation. The animal rights activists can want all animal research to be shut down, then they must also accept the inevitable sluggishness that would come about in bioscience research progress.Paradoxical that life science research would go on without any living specimen to test upon.most scientists are docile compared to the aggression and sometimes hooliganism (labs have been destroyed previously by them, scientists threatened) of animal rights activists. it is time that people involved in research too take a stand on this issue. it is necessary to have a balanced and practical view of things..some people say that there is no need to understand more of diseases of life processes and human does not need any more betterment at the cost of animals..rarely the actual patients of terminal illnesses subscribe to this view though..anyway assuming that everyone is ok with only simulation research going on then go ahead with the ban.but dissent must be paid heed to and tried to be understood.
18 Apr, 2012 04:22 PM
Obviously the division on this topic will be between researchers(using animal models) and non-researchers who will welcome the verdict!I do work on animal models and my take is that in bachelors level basic science courses, live animal models may be done away with.But in every step of biotechnology,genetics,neuroscience,pharmacology research animals are utilized in some capacity. Even when animals are not directly sacrificed, they have to kept in facility for antibody production.Without animal sacrifice, no tissue pathology(where different proteins may be overexpressed/inhibited in an animal & its effects seen...the idea is to mimic and understand disease progression) studies can be conducted.For any vaccine development live animals have to be used. The day is yet to come when the virtual reality can replace actual living animals in every aspect of investigation. The animal rights activists can want all animal research to be shut down, then they must also accept the inevitable sluggishness that would come about in bioscience research progress.Paradoxical that life science research would go on without any living specimen to test upon.most scientists are docile compared to the aggression and sometimes hooliganism (labs have been destroyed previously by them, scientists threatened) of animal rights activists. it is time that people involved in research too take a stand on this issue. it is necessary to have a balanced and practical view of things..some people say that there is no need to understand more of diseases of life processes and human does not need any more betterment at the cost of animals..rarely the actual patients of terminal illnesses subscribe to this view though..anyway assuming that everyone is ok with only simulation research going on then go ahead with the ban.but dissent must be paid heed to and tried to be understood.
Vivekanandha (Nether world)
18 Apr, 2012 04:20 PM
The issue of animal experimentation has to be decided by the MCI and pharmacy councils etc. which are created by an act of parliament[MCI] and autonomous. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare itself does not have control over the body. But of late Honurable Mr.Kapil Sibal from his education department barged in to MCI for reasons known only to him. The health ministry seems to have abdicated its role and has also made MCI a tool under nobody[they know who they are ]. Now the ministry of Environment is dictating terms to MCI. What is happening in India? Are the doctors in India sleeping? Rise up and voice your opinion or tomorrow you may be declared quakes by all and sundry like the PETA netas. These people have an agenda and are funded by multinational vested interests and are working to destroy the self reliant Indian science and technology. Every body know who are behind this circus. Think of what happened when they lobbyed effectively to ban anti rabies vaccine from animal sources. Which company was the ultimate gainer? People of India are taken for ride by a group of Trading castes. These people killed their own religion hundred of years ago by their arrogance and insulting behavior. They do not have compassion for humans, but have compassion for animals and insects. They consider humans as hapless consumers for the goodies they sell.Their philosophy is flawed, their epistemology is absurd and once in history they made themselves as a laughing stock among the public. Some then considered them as a threat to public order and what followed was a ghastly inhuman mass persecution/killing and the history of India is still wet with the blood of that incident and its aftermath. They have money- in fact all the money in India is theirs only-and that is the problem. They want to repeat the history. Should Indians allow themselves to be misled by this rich fools? Post independence they took the first causality- democracy by demonstrating the power of money to Indian National Congress. We are still suffering from the after effects of it- all kinds of extremism and terrorism we were/are facing starts from that phenomenon. At least now all learned Indians should stand up to restore democracy, pluralism and tolerance in the public life. Let their be thousand sane voices against each insane voice of the mad. They wont change their way. Let them preach their beliefs. But they can be kept at bay and prevented from causing any serious damage to the social fabric.
18 Apr, 2012 04:20 PM
The issue of animal experimentation has to be decided by the MCI and pharmacy councils etc. which are created by an act of parliament[MCI] and autonomous. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare itself does not have control over the body. But of late Honurable Mr.Kapil Sibal from his education department barged in to MCI for reasons known only to him. The health ministry seems to have abdicated its role and has also made MCI a tool under nobody[they know who they are ]. Now the ministry of Environment is dictating terms to MCI. What is happening in India? Are the doctors in India sleeping? Rise up and voice your opinion or tomorrow you may be declared quakes by all and sundry like the PETA netas. These people have an agenda and are funded by multinational vested interests and are working to destroy the self reliant Indian science and technology. Every body know who are behind this circus. Think of what happened when they lobbyed effectively to ban anti rabies vaccine from animal sources. Which company was the ultimate gainer? People of India are taken for ride by a group of Trading castes. These people killed their own religion hundred of years ago by their arrogance and insulting behavior. They do not have compassion for humans, but have compassion for animals and insects. They consider humans as hapless consumers for the goodies they sell.Their philosophy is flawed, their epistemology is absurd and once in history they made themselves as a laughing stock among the public. Some then considered them as a threat to public order and what followed was a ghastly inhuman mass persecution/killing and the history of India is still wet with the blood of that incident and its aftermath. They have money- in fact all the money in India is theirs only-and that is the problem. They want to repeat the history. Should Indians allow themselves to be misled by this rich fools? Post independence they took the first causality- democracy by demonstrating the power of money to Indian National Congress. We are still suffering from the after effects of it- all kinds of extremism and terrorism we were/are facing starts from that phenomenon. At least now all learned Indians should stand up to restore democracy, pluralism and tolerance in the public life. Let their be thousand sane voices against each insane voice of the mad. They wont change their way. Let them preach their beliefs. But they can be kept at bay and prevented from causing any serious damage to the social fabric.
Vivek (Mumbai)
18 Apr, 2012 01:49 PM
Why my post was deleted? This is outrageous. Here people can refer to other people terrorists. Politicians can be called terrorists but not animal rights activists? Why the extremist ideology of these groups which ends up killing innocent people even kids has to be give a free rein? Why this ideology cannot be the subject of valid criticism? Holy cow culture at its best. Why people have to needlessly suffer this perversion?
18 Apr, 2012 01:49 PM
Why my post was deleted? This is outrageous. Here people can refer to other people terrorists. Politicians can be called terrorists but not animal rights activists? Why the extremist ideology of these groups which ends up killing innocent people even kids has to be give a free rein? Why this ideology cannot be the subject of valid criticism? Holy cow culture at its best. Why people have to needlessly suffer this perversion?
Jack Lucas (Vienna) replies to Vivek
18 Apr, 2012 03:51 PM
There never, in all the history of animal rights activism, has been a single casualty (- which is actually a first in these kind of movements)- would you like to know why? Because the core of this movement is NON-VIOLENCE, against human and non-human animals. So there is no animal rights terrorism. Empathy is not a perversion either. People were reacting exactly the same way you do in reaction to the civil rights movement and you know what: (human) slavery has been overcome, too. This is evolution and those who are not willing to participate in a change for the better will fall victim to this evolution. And that's a good thing. Torture, senseless murder and profitting from all this misery must become a thing of the past. And it will.
18 Apr, 2012 03:51 PM
There never, in all the history of animal rights activism, has been a single casualty (- which is actually a first in these kind of movements)- would you like to know why? Because the core of this movement is NON-VIOLENCE, against human and non-human animals. So there is no animal rights terrorism. Empathy is not a perversion either. People were reacting exactly the same way you do in reaction to the civil rights movement and you know what: (human) slavery has been overcome, too. This is evolution and those who are not willing to participate in a change for the better will fall victim to this evolution. And that's a good thing. Torture, senseless murder and profitting from all this misery must become a thing of the past. And it will.
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