Trichy: Despite getting the tag of Centre with Potential for Excellence in a Particular Area (CPE-PA) for setting up the National Centre for Alternatives to Animal Experiments more than a year back, the Bharathidasan University (BDU) has not made any progress over the past 15 months in terms of research despite getting UGC funding. The university had gained the tag by selling the idea of painless animal research.Nine universities were selected in April 2016 by the UGC under the scheme during the 12th plan for the period 2016-21. The National Centre for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (NCAAE) at BDU was among them to receive a grant of Rs 5 crore. The research is taking place with the collaboration of faculty members from 10 departments.Even though the funds were passed in September 2016, except for purchase of equipment, there has been no significant progress in research activity.Former president of association of university teachers, K Pandiyan, said, "Bharathidasan University had failed twice in getting the university with potential for excellence (UPE) status after the proposals it submitted with UGC was rejected for lacking focus. However UGC offered it to compete in CPE-PA scheme."MGDC for alternatives to use of animals in life science education was established in 2009 at BDU in the backdrop of increasing concern over the use of animals in learning and research. "M A Akbarsha, then Director of Mahatma Gandhi - Doerenkamp Center (MGDC) at BDU, came to the rescue by helping BDU compete for CPE-PA scheme," said K Pandiyan.Akbarsha proposed to expand the activity of MGDC with the establishment of a National Centre for Alternatives to Animal Experiments at BDU and also submitted a proposal to UGC under the CPE-PA scheme.Expertise was brought in with inclusion of faculties from other departments to widen its horizon to a multi-disciplinary approach and the proposal was approved by UGC for funding in April 2016, said Pandiyan.However, Akbarsha retired from service and professor of animal sciences department R Thiurmurugan was made the coordinator of the centre.Thirumurugan rejected claims that they were meeting after a year, adding, "All the equipment have been procured and installed including trial run, except for one equipment which will also be procured by next week."While the funding is for five years, the centre has to submit annual progress reports. Thirumurugan said that they are in the process of preparing the report as the work had got delayed over administrative sanctions to procure equipment.Saying that there was no discussion during the last one year, one among the 10 research scholars at the centre said, "If one reads the project objectives, it will be evident that not even 10 per cent of it has been met to in the last one year.""Research is only a part of the objectives while the rest are services. This component has been hardly attended to, except for one national workshop," said the research scholar on request of anonymity.Objective of the centreTo establish a national repository and reference point of literature on animal alternatives and update it from time to timeTo establish a repository of digital and simulation alternatives for dissections and animal experiments, bring up newer digital alternativesUpdate methods from time to time and train stake-holders in these alternatives.To bring up a networking of individuals, institutes and labs engaged in contributing to alternativesConduct seminars, symposia, conferences and national and international congresses on alternativesIn addition, the centre's primary focus will be to develop the county as a leader on par with international institutes in humane science by adopting innovative and modern tools of research and testing

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