The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to work towards setting up of a common platform of experts for critical examination of research projects with a view to avoiding duplicate and repetitive biomedical research using animal subjects. The research committee meant for this purpose would have representatives from all government agencies that promote research and control related funding. It has recommended for the provision of financial support by the various players viz., Ministry of Health and ICMR, department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and the CPCSEA for promoting the practice of 4 Rs (Refinement, Reduction, Replacement and Rehabilitation) by scientific community.

The recently concluded International Conference on Alternatives to the use of Animals in Research and Education, organized by CPCSEA in association with DBT has called for the establishment of a Centre at National level to develop alternatives to animal experimentation with required focus on dissemination of information, and data-sharing on inter-institutional inter-company and inter-country basis. Incorporation of streams of animal ethics, animal pain and stress, animal welfare laws, animal behaviour and psychology, shelter management, and captive breeding etc. in the veterinary education at higher levels has also been recommended. Suitable syllabi restructuring by University Grants Commission, Medical Council of India and Pharmacy Council of India will be another move prompted by CPCSEA to promote animal ethics among scientific and medical community.

The recent moves of the CPCSEA is seen as more realistic as it recognizes the need for conducting experiments on animals for advancement of science, alleviation of human, and animal suffering, and prolongation of human and animal life. It has also interpreted "replacement" in the context of possible use of smaller number of animals rather than complete abandonment of the use of animals.

The committee has felt that refinement has to be given preference over reduction. Here the adoption of refinement implies use of relatively larger number of animals as compared to the latter but causes pain on a diminished scale as against the alternative of reduction, which may achieve quantitative decrease in the number of animals but cause pain and distress on a heightened scale.