PETA India confirmed that Chitkara University will no longer allow the forced swim test, where small animals are placed in water to study depression. The move follows a Pharmacy Council of India directive and concerns over cruelty and reliability. The university said it remains committed to ethical research practices.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) has announced that Chitkara University will no longer permit the forced swim test to be conducted at its institution. The decision follows concerns raised about the experiment’s cruelty and scientific validity.
The forced swim test involves dosing mice, hamsters and other small animals with test substances and placing them in inescapable beakers filled with water.
The animals are made to swim to avoid drowning, in experiments purportedly aimed at studying human depression. Critics argue that when animals stop struggling and float, it reflects energy conservation and adaptation rather than despair. Some research has suggested that the test may be no more reliable than chance in determining the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.
In an email to PETA India, Chitkara College of Pharmacy Professor and Dean Dr. Thakur Gurjeet Singh stated that the institution remains committed to ethical research practices and regulatory compliance. He noted that, in line with a notification from the Pharmacy Council of India, the forced swim test will not be considered or approved for any future academic or research activities at the university.
Earlier in April, the Pharmacy Council of India directed all agencies under its purview, including Chitkara University, to review and take necessary action regarding the continued use of the experiment after representations from PETA India.
Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India, described the test as cruel and ineffective in advancing understanding of human mental health. She welcomed the university’s decision and called on the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) and institutions under its oversight to prohibit the experiment nationwide.