IVF clinics are increasingly advertising the use of new art techniques such as stem cell and cloning. Are you aware that these experiments are being done?
There is no law in India at this moment. This could well be happening as IVF centres are the hot spots for embryos. While they are meant to be used only for therapeutic cloning and not reproductive cloning, experimentation cannot be ruled out. The only thing that will prevent them from doing it is an ethical issue but since there is no bite in our guidelines yet, I can well imagine the situation.
Is there any count of the number of IVF clinics in India?
There is no registry for IVF centres in India but an estimate is that there are 700 to 800 such clinics across the country. All these are functioning without any regulations.
How long have the regulations (National Guidelines for Accreditation, Supervision and Regulation of art clinics in India) been under preparation?
The bill is being worked upon since 2000 and is yet to become a law. It needs to cover many aspects so it has been reviewed and commented on by both international and national groups. We are confident that it will be implemented this year. Our fear is also at the implementation level. Not all states have responded positively. We can only make the law but implementation is an area which we have no control over.
Once the law is implemented, what will be the penalty for reproductive cloning?
Up to three years in jail.
Is there any action that can be taken against a clinic or laboratory that is experimenting with cloning?
No action can be taken against those doing cloning.
Do necessary permissions have to be taken even for therapeutic cloning before procedures are carried out?
Yes, the guidelines for stem cell research and therapy specify that permission must be taken from the National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (NAC-SCRT). However, this body is yet to be set up.
One learns that a lot of work is being done in the area of embryonic stem cell therapy across the country in many clinics...
There is no way to regulate this right now. People are just doing what they want to. Many people are being misled with these clinics mushrooming everywhere.
