India Animal Experimentation Draft Rules Criticised

Welfare groups argue the new rules shift control from statutory regulators to the institutions conducting experiments, diluting existing protections under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

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Animal welfare organisations in India have urged the central government to withdraw a draft notification that modifies rules for animal experimentation.
The groups argue the draft dilutes the existing regulatory framework and shifts decision-making power to the institutions using the animals.

Animal welfare bodies in India have asked the central government to scrap a proposed regulatory update regarding laboratory animal use. According to The Hindu BusinessLine, these groups argue the current proposal weakens existing safeguards and transfers oversight from statutory bodies to the research institutions themselves. The document, released at the end of September with a thirty-day public comment period, has generated significant public feedback, including email drives and social media campaigns on X.

Gauri Maulekhi of the People for Animals Public Policy Foundation wrote to the relevant ministry and the oversight committee, stating the proposal misaligns with the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. She identified a key structural flaw where the entity using animals often controls its own approval process. Specifically, she noted that most members of the internal ethics panels are employees of the host institution, allowing the chair to be selected from within that group. Her letter recommended a new draft developed with input from independent scientists, veterinarians, and experts in alternative testing methods.

PETA India also joined the call for withdrawal, warning that the new framework might permit the use of wild species and community strays in labs. Dr Anjana Aggarwal, a research policy advisor at the organisation, cautioned against treating local fauna as disposable subjects. She highlighted that while global agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission are moving toward non-animal methods, India risks regressing. She pointed to advancements such as organ-on-chip technology and computer modelling as reasons to advance rather than retreat.

The proposed rules aim to replace the 1968 and 1998 regulatory frameworks. The PFA letter argued that the draft narrows legal protection by limiting it to vertebrates, thereby excluding certain veterinary field trials. It also shifts liability from individuals to physical premises, complicating legal enforcement. Furthermore, mandatory requirements become optional guidelines, meaning moderate tests on primates and farm animals may bypass prior committee review. When The Hindu BusinessLine reached out to pharma and research sector representatives, they indicated they preferred to remain silent on the proposal for now.

Animal Welfare Groups Urge Withdrawal of India's Draft Experimentation Rules

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