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 that 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 relation to the conduct of such experiments.
(1A) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of 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 for- warded to the Committee by persons and institutions carrying on experiments on 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 therefor 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 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 anesthetics, 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 directions.
(4) All rules made by, the Committee shall be binding on all individuals performing experiments outside institutions and on persons in charge of institutions in which experiments are performed.
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