Ethics - Current Affair, May 2018 - Current Affairs PDF Download

9.1. ANIMAL TESTING 

• Animal Testing or Experimentation involves the use of animals to develop and test safety of new medicines, drugs, cosmetics, medical procedures and other industry products.
• Animals are subjected to pain, stress, ear-notching, genetic manipulation, physical restraint, food-and-water deprivation, asphyxiation and other manipulations.

Ethical questions and concerns involved:

• What is the moral status of an animal? 
o Given the animals’ capacity to suffer, to enjoy life etc., shall we equate their moral status to that of humans?

• Do they have innate rights? 
o Animals lack cognitive abilities and full autonomy, unlike humans. Hence, humans have limited obligations towards them.

• How does one distinguish between animals and infants or disabled humans?
o It is speciesism (a concept akin to racism) to experiment on animals while refraining from human experiments. 

• Inability of the animals to consent.
• Animals are subjected to unnatural state of existence.
• It is also argued that there is lack of proven benefits to humans, out of these methods.

The issue invokes the following two of the Seven Sins, outlined by Gandhi ji: 

• Science without humanity
• Knowledge without Character 

What can be done to overcome the ethical dilemma?
Using animals for research should evolve out of a strong sense of ethical introspection, which involves a careful self-analysis of one's own personal and scientific motives. Further, following would help in better treatment of animals:

• Deploying the Principle of 3Rs (see Box); this has also been adopted as a legal requirement in the European Union and other nations.
• Adopting standard guidelines for animal testing, such as: 

o Monitor and improve the conditions of laboratory animals
o Use anaesthesia appropriately
o Deploy trained personnel to handle animals

• Alternatives to animal testing:

o In vitro methods i.e. using human cell cultures and tissues e.g. organs-on-a-chip
o In silico methods i.e. advanced computer-modelling
o Engagement of human volunteers e.g. micro-dosing
o Use of human-patient simulators for medical training.

9.2. SOCIAL LICENCE TO OPERATE (SLO)

Why in news?
Tamil Nadu government announced the closure of Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi post-violence that claimed 13 lives, in June 2018. The violence is a clear manifestation of loss of SLO by Sterlite Industries. 

What is Social Licence (SLO)?
• Acceptance of upcoming or ongoing business/ project within the pre-existing social contracts that bind communities.
• SLO engages stakeholders, employees and the general public.
• Its nature is dynamic and non-permanent, requiring constant maintenance.
• It relates to the concepts of sustainability and triple bottom line (a measure of company’s economic value, environmental impact and degree of social sustainability).
• ‘Social’ can be said to be derived from common law, while ‘licence’ is derived from civil law – thus SLO enjoys acceptance by a vast network.