Rahul Bose Urges an End to Animal Dissection for Zoology Courses
Actor and activist Rahul Bose, from the movie Mr. and Mrs. Iyer and 15 Park Avenue, has urged the University Grants Commission to support a ban on the dissection of animals in universities zoology classes. In a letter to UGC expert committee chair, Prof. H. A. Ranganath, Rahul wrote ‘Animal dissection is an outmoded approach to education that does little for students other than desensitize them about animal welfare issues, animals’ ability to feel pain, and their own compassionate feelings’.
Today, we have superior virtual dissection programs which can be used to facilitate learning. There are around fifteen universities in India that have already switched over to humane alternatives to animal dissection for teaching zoology. The reasons for their switch to these modern methods include not wanting to use animals as disposable beings and the health hazards posed by chemicals used to preserve dead animals. These chemicals are harmful and have been proven to cause cancer. Killing an animal when there is no need and harming your health while doing so are two major reasons for you to urge your university to ban animal dissection.
It’s becoming easier and easier to refuse to dissect or experiment on animals. Students around the world are asserting their right to an education that doesn’t violate their ethical principles, and you can, too. Urge UGC to cut out dissection.
