A two-days training programme conducted by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pains or suffering before, during, or after experiments are performed on them, concluded here today. CPCSEA is a statutory Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and has been constituted under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. There are 1675 establishments/research institutions registered with the CPCSEA, which conduct experiments and research on various small and large animals. CPCSEA nominates its nominees in Institutional Animal
Experimentation Committee (IAEC) of each establishment and this programme was conducted to train these nominees.
The training programme was attended by 170 nominees of CPCSEA from 25 states all over the country, including from North-eastern States such as Assam, Sikkim and Tripura which had not been represented earlier. Among those who disseminated information during the training programme included - Director, Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Dr. Harmeet Singh Rehan and Member, CPCSEA & Director, National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research Hyderabad, Dr. Suresh Pothani.
Vice-Chairperson, CPCSEA, & Joint Secretary (AW) Smt. Manju Pandeyappreciated the efforts made by the participants for their efforts for the welfare of laboratory animals. Member Secretary (CPCSEA) and Deputy Secretary (AW) Shri S. Gowri Shankar suggested that all Nominees of CPCSEA are expected to be more effective, productive, rational and well informed about the all guidelines on “experimentation on animals”. Additional Secretary, MoEF&CC and Chairman, CPCSEA, Shri Anil Kumar Jain had inaugurated the event yesterday.