Bringing Tranparency to Monkey Matters: Part 1
CPCSEA (committee to control and supervise experiments on animals) is a government
body , constituted under an act of Parliament and for any experiment its sanction is a must. CPCSEA has never decided that monkeys must not be used for experiments, its rules only say that experimental animals should be procured from a registered breeder or from alternative legal sources within the country.
In its 17th meeting held in Feb. 2007 though it has approved the use of commensal monkeys for experiments it has not banned the use of forest monkeys for the same.
Recently Government of India has proposed to permit contract Animal Experiments by a registered establishment on behalf of any other agency observing the provisions of PCA act 1960.
The prominent Centers of Primate research in India are:
- Fundamental Research
- Vaccine Research
- Reproductive Research
- Infectious Diseases Testing and Monitoring
Till a ban on the use of monkeys for lab experiments can be brought about , Vatavaran feels that transparency be brought about in the system and the lay out plan of Vatavaran Primate Estate does just that.
(continued in Part 2)
