law: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
  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 Indian and subject to the condition of previous
  
  publication, make such rules as it may think fit in relation to the conduct of
  
  such experiments.
  (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 case where
  
  experiments are performed outside n 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 experiment 
  
  involving operation are performed under the influence of some anesthetic, are so 
  
  influence of some anesthetic 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 experiment 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 wherever 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 authorized 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.