In order to gradually eliminate the use of animals for medical and other research projects, the Animal Welfare Minister, Maneka Gandhi, according to informed sources, has announced the setting up of a panel comprising experts to evolve a graded strategy beginning with reduction and ending in the elimination of usage of animals in medical and other research projects. The panel is going to be headed by Ranjit Roy Chaudhary, director, National Institute of Immunology (NII).

The panel will include the Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRIAdditional Director General (Animal Sciences) in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and an Adviser in the Department of Biotechnology. In addition, two scientists representing the laboratories under the Council of Scientific and Industry Research (CSIR) and the Deputy Director of the Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Research (SRIIR) would form part of the panel.

The Animal Welfare Ministry has further demanded that all the laboratories that have animal facilities will have to submit detailed time-bound action plans to the Ministry on the issues of maintenance of animal houses and how they are going about in removing deficiencies in relevant areas of animal houses, maintenance and treatment of animals.

The announcement has come at a time when there is a continuing stand-off between the Health Minister, C.P.Thakur and Maneka Gandhi. While the latter has claimed that usage of animals had to completely done away with, the statement stemming from incidents of deaths of animals in animal houses due to poor upkeep and medical care, the former had been wanting to keep a safe path by urging the need to have animals for research purposes on more useful terms. The Minister had also reiterated that it would not interfere with the autonomy of research institutions on the subject of usage of animals in research purposes but wanted the research institutions to keep intact the sentiments of animal welfare activists besides proper maintenance and treatment for animals in animal houses. This statement has been contradictory to the demands of the Animal Welfare Ministry.

The panel, informed sources said, would review the existing norms for usage of animals for testing of drugs with a view to bringing them in line with global trends as reflected in the WHO and OECD guidelines besides the British and US pharmacopoeia. This apart, it will also work out norms for the rehabilitation of animals used in experiments besides the issue of accreditation of laboratories.

Though the constitution of the panel has been decided upon, it is not clear when the panel would begin its assigned work. Informed sources claimed that the same would begin its task once the moment the Animal Welfare Ministry sends the notification to all laboratories and related institutions about the constitution of the panel and when the latter would submit their respective detailed time bound action plans as demanded by the Ministry.