Animal Welfare, Ethics and Jurisprudence

Role and function of Controlling and Supervising Experiments in Animals (CPCSEA)

ROLE AND FUNCTION OF CPCSEA

• The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) has been constituted by the Government ofIndia, under Sections 14 to Chapter IV of the Prevention of Cruel ty to animals Act, 1960, for the purpose of controlling and supervising experiments performed on animals.

Duty of CPCSEA

• It is the duty of the committee to take all such measures as may be necessary to ensure that the animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering, before, during or after the performance of experiments on them.
• To achieve this purpose, the CPCSEA may, through notification in the Gazette of India, make such rules as it may think fit in relation to the conduct of such experiments.
• The CPCSEA will : Register institutions/establishments/breeders carrying out experiments on animalsl breeding animals. Call for and receive reports and other information as required from concerned persons/ institutionslbreeders Ensure that the experiments are carried out by qualified individuals and with full responsibility ofthe person in charge of the institution.
• Monitor and inspect the housing of animals of breeders/establishments and ensure that it is as per specified standards. Give permission to registered institutes/establishments for conducting experiments on animals. Regulate experiments on animals as per stipulated conditions and standards.
• Monitor the transfer and acquisition of animals for experiments. Participate in the meetings of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committees. Ensure that experiments are performed with due care and humanity and that as far as possible experiments involving invasive procedures/surgery are performed under the influence of some anaesthetic of sufficient power to prevent the animals feeling pain.
• Ensure that animals which in the course of the experimentunder the influence of anaesthetic are so injured that their recovery would involve serious suffering are euthanised as per specified norms Ensure that experiments on animals are avoided whenever it is possible to do so and propagate the principles of3 Rs that is to REDUCE, REDEFINE, and REPLACE the use of animals in experiments.
• Ensure that as far as possible experiments are not performed merely for the purpose of acquiring manual skill Ensure that the animals intended for the performance of the experiments are properly looked after both before and after experiments Ensure that required records are maintained with respect to experiments performed on animals.