Government to amend PCA Act to facilitate animal experiments

Jayashree Padmini - New Delhi

If the government accepts the recommendations on animal experimentation norms, this will see allowing of variety of animal experimentation for welfare of society, relaxation in import of animals for experimentation, separating minor/major offenses putting an end to arbitrary decision making and ensuring of animal welfare while promoting research.

After streamlining the operational guidelines of CPCSEA based on the expert group recommendations to facilitate scientific research, the Ministry of Environment is now looking at amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. The amendments in the Act and in the PCA Rules aims at liberalising norms with regard to animal experimentation and simplifying procedures.

According to the proposed amendments, such experiments using animals that will bring significant gains in the wellbeing of the people of the country will be allowed. This will be incorporated in the Section 14 of PCA Act. While under the current Act animal experiments are allowed only for medical molecules study, the proposed amendment will allow genetic modification experiments, nutraceuticals study, experiments for genetically improved food, etc, said official sources.

Not only that, penalty for major and minor offenses will be separated, the Act will be amended to enhance the fine to Rs 3000. For minor offenses corrective measures will be taken and licenses will not be cancelled arbitrarily.

The department is drafting the proposal for amendment that will be vetted by law ministry before sending for Cabinet approval. The concerned departments such as health, agriculture, environment, animal husbandry, wild life and the CSIR will be involved in drafting the amendment. According to top sources in the ministry, the draft proposal will be ready in two months time and the amendment should be in place by end of this year. The PCA Rules also will be amended to bring in the corresponding changes once PCA Act amendment is cleared by Cabinet.

If the amendment to Rules takes place as proposed, the researchers/companies will have to include in the project cost the rehabilitation expenses for animals used in experiments. “Rehabilitation of animals after experiments should extend till the point the subject animal is able to resume a normal existence and look after itself.

A lump-sum amount needs to be provided for, as rehabilitation costs for its entire statistical expected life span,” says the report by the consultative group on review of the norms and practices for regulation of animal experimentation. The recommendations delineate the specific conditions under which euthanasia could be adopted.

The Rules also will be changed to relax the norms related to import of animals and DGFT will be authorised to clear imports. If animals required is not available from a registered breeder or alternate legal sources within the country, genetically defined animals could be imported with permission from DGFT, except that non-availability will not apply for genetically defined rats and mice. Further, the Rules are proposed to be amended to recognise contract research under the law and such projects need to take due approval from CPCSEA sub committee for animal experimentation.

On the hurdles of large animal experimentation the official said that with the operational guidelines in place and the CPCSEA meeting regularly every third month, projects are cleared faster. In the December meeting at least 21 projects were cleared, he pointed out. Although there was a proposal to scrap the sub-committee on large animals and to authorise the institutional biosafety committee for project clearance on large animal experimentation it was sabotaged by CPCSEA.