THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT,
1960 (Continued)
23[15A. Sub-Committee : (1) The
Committee may constitute as many sub-committees as it thinks fit for
exercising any power or discharging any duty of the Committee or for
inquiring into or reporting and advising on any matter which the Committee
may refer.
(2) A sub-committee shall consist exclusively
of the Members of the Committee.)
16. Staff of the Committee : Subject to
the control of the Central Government, the Committee may committee appoint
such number of officers and other employees as may be necessary to enable it
to exercise ills powers and perform its duties and may determine the
remuneration and
other terms and conditions of service of such officers and other employees.
17. Duties of the Committee and power of
the Committee to make rules relating to
experiments on animals : (1) It shall be the duty of the Committee to
take all such measures as may be necessary to ensure that animals are not
subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering before, during or after the
performance of experiments on them, and for the purpose it may, by
notification in the Gazette of India and subject to the condition of
previous publication, make such rules as it may think fit in animals
relation to the conduct of such experiments.
24[(lA)In particular, and without prejudice to
the generality to the foregoing power, such rules may provide for the
following matters namely:
(a) the registration of persons or
institutions carrying on experiments on animals;
(b) the reports and other information which shall be forwarded to the
Committee by persons and institutions carrying on experiments or, animals.]
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to
the generality of the foregoing power, rules made by the Committee shall be
designed to secure the following objects, namely:
(a) that in cases where experiments are
performed in any institution, the responsibility therefore is placed on the
person in charge of the institution and that, in cases where experiments are
performed outside an institution by individuals, the individuals, are
performed outside an institution by individuals, the individuals, are
qualified in that behalf and the experiments are performed on their full
responsibility;
(b) that experiments are performed with due
care and humanity and that as far as possible experiments involving
operations are performed under the influence of some anaesthetic of
sufficient power to prevent the animals feeling pain;
(c) that animals which, in the course of
experiments under the influence of anaesthetics, are so injured that their
recovery would involve serious suffering, are ordinarily destroyed while
still insensible;
(d) that experiments on animals are avoided
wherever it is possible to do so; as for example; in medical schools,
hospitals, colleges and the like, if other teaching devices such as books,
models, films and the. like, may equally suffice;
(e) that experiments on larger animals are
avoided when it is possible to achieve the same results by experiments upon
small laboratory animals like guinea-'pigs, rabbits, frogs and rats;
(f) that, as far as possible, experiments are
not performed merely for the purpose of acquiring manual skill;
(g) that animals intended for the performance
of experiments are properly looked after both before and after experiments;
(h) that suitable records are maintained with respect to experiments
performed on animals
(3) In making any rules under this section, the Committee shall be guided by
such directions as the Central Government (consistently with the objects for
which the Committee is set up) may give to it, and the Central Government is
hereby authorised to give such direction.
(4) All rules made by the Committee shall be binding on all individuals
performing experiments outside institutions and on persons incharge of
institutions in which experiments are performed.
18. Power of entry and inspection : For
the purpose of ensuring that the rules made by it are being complied and
with the Committee may authorise any of its officers or any other person in
writing to inspect any institution or place where experiments are being
carried on and report to it as a result of such inspection, and any officer
or person so authorised may-
(a) enter at any time considered reasonable by him and inspect any
institution or place in which experiments on animals are being carried on;
and
(b) require any person to produce any record kept by him with respect to
experiments on
animals.
19. Power to prohibit experiments on
animals : If the Committee is satisfied, on the report of any officer or
other person made to it as a result of any inspection under section 18 or
otherwise that the rules made by it under section 17 are not being animals
the Committee may, after giving
an opportunity to the person or institution carrying on experiments on
animals; the Committee may, after giving an opportunity to the person or
institution of being heard in the matter, by order, prohibit the person or
institution from carrying on any such experiments either for a specified
period or indefinitely, or may allow the person or institution to carry on
such
experiments subject to such special conditions as the Committee may think
fit to impose.
20. Penalties : If any person-
(a) contravenes any order made by the Committee under section 19; or
(b) commits a breach of any condition imposed by the Committee under that
section:
he shall be punishable with fine which may
extend to two hundred rupees, and, when the contravention or breach of
condition has taken place in any institution the person incharge of the
institution shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be
punishable accordingly.
