Sections 15 to 17: The Committee That Controls Experiments

In one line

Sections 15 to 17 create the Committee, tell it what to secure, and give it the power to write the rules that actually govern a laboratory.

In exam wording: section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 empowers the Central Government, on the advice of the Animal Welfare Board and if it is of opinion that it is necessary for controlling and supervising experiments on animals, to constitute by notification a Committee of such officials and non-officials as it thinks fit, to nominate its Chairman, and provides that the Committee may regulate its own procedure and that its funds consist of grants and of contributions, donations, subscriptions, bequests and gifts; section 15A permits sub-committees consisting exclusively of members of the Committee; section 16 permits it to appoint officers and employees subject to the control of the Central Government; and section 17 imposes on it the duty to take all measures necessary to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering before, during or after experiments, and gives it power by notification, subject to previous publication, to make rules in relation to the conduct of such experiments.

The Committee

The body constituted under section 15 is the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals. It is not a court, it is not a licensing authority under any other statute, and it does not authorise an experiment: an experiment within section 14 is already lawful. What the Committee does is regulate how it is done, and stop it if the rules are broken.

Section 15(1). The Central Government constitutes it by notification, on the advice of the Board, when it is of opinion that this is necessary for controlling and supervising experiments on animals. The composition is such number of officials and non-officials as the Government thinks fit.

Section 15(2). The Central Government nominates one member as Chairman.

Section 15(3). The Committee regulates its own procedure in relation to the performance of its duties.

Section 15(4). Its funds consist of grants made by the Government and of contributions, donations, subscriptions, bequests and gifts.

Section 15A. It may constitute as many sub-committees as it thinks fit for exercising any power or discharging any duty, or for inquiring into, reporting or advising on a referred matter; a sub-committee consists exclusively of members of the Committee.

Section 16. Subject to the control of the Central Government, it may appoint officers and employees and determine their remuneration and terms of service.

Section 17: the duty and the rule making power

Section 17(1): the duty. 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. Notice the three periods: housing before, procedure during, and care or humane destruction after.