Victory! Cruel Near-Drowning Experiment on Animals Banned at Chitkara University
For Immediate Release:
21 February 2026
Contact:
Sanskriti Bansore; [email protected]
Anushka Yadav; [email protected]
Chandigarh: After hearing from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA India) about the cruelty and scientific invalidity of the forced swim test, Chitkara University has confirmed that it no longer permits the test to be conducted at its institution.
In the forced swim test, mice, hamsters, and other small animals are dosed with test substances, placed in inescapable beakers filled with water, and made to swim to keep from drowning – purportedly to shed light on human depression. The experiment has been heavily criticized by scientists who argue that the animals giving up and floating is not a sign of depression or despair, but rather an indicator that the animals are simply saving energy and adapting to a new environment. Research suggests the test may even be less reliable than a coin toss to determine the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.
In an email to PETA India, Chitkara College of Pharmacy Professor and Dean Dr. Thakur Gurjeet Singh confirmed, “Our institution remains fully committed to ethical research practices, regulatory compliance, and continual alignment with national guidelines and evolving scientific standards. In line with the [Pharmacy Council of India] notification, we have ensured that the Forced Swim Test will not be considered or approved for any future academic or research activities.”
Following a push from PETA India, the Pharmacy Council of India in April directed all agencies under its purview – including Chitkara University – to review and take necessary action on the continued use of the widely debunked experiment.
“Forcing tiny, terrified animals to swim for their lives is horrifically cruel and tells us nothing about human mental health,” says Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India’s Scientist and Research Policy Advisor. “PETA India thanks Chitkara University for this compassionate decision and urges CCSEA and all institutions under its purview to ban this useless experiment.”
Other government agencies, universities, and pharmaceutical companies around the world have pledged not to permit, conduct, or fund the forced swim test after hearing from PETA entities. PETA India is intensifying efforts to urge the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) to ban the cruel experiment at the national level.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow PETA India on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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