Public Statement about Changes with regard to the Centre for Study of Ethics and Rights

Anusandhan Trust was established in 1991 under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950 (Registration No: E-13480) to establish and run democratically managed institutions to undertake research on health and allied themes; provide education and training, and initiate and participate in advocacy efforts on relevant issues concerned with the well being of the disadvantaged and the poor in collaboration with organisations and individuals working with and for such people.

The Trust governed three centres:

CEHAT (Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes) : commenced in 1994 concentrates or focuses on its core area of strength - social and public health research and policy advocacy.

SATHI (Support for Advocacy and Training in Health Initiatives) : From 1st April 2005 SATHI has developed into full-fledged institution primarily involved in health action and campaigns. SATHI is based in Pune.

CSER (Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights) : The Trust promoted work on bioethics/medical ethics from the very beginning. The Trust decided to establish a long-term focused programme on ethics under a separate centre. This centre began functioning from January 2005 in Mumbai.

The Board of Trustees at a Special Meeting of the Trust held on May 11, 2013, decided to change the structure of CSER from an independent Centre to a programme, Research Programme on Ethics, directly under the Trust.

This structural change applies only to CSER. CEHAT and SATHI continue as autonomous Centres.

The decision of the Trust on the redefinition of CSER has been taken on the count of the sustainability of an independent Centre for this work. The structural change means that CSER now no longer has a separate identity and does not exist as autonomous Centre. The coordination of its current tasks lies with the Managing Trustee in the interim. The Trust ensures the discharge of all current commitments of CSER.

A Research Programme on Ethics has been formed under the Trust facilitated by a Committee constituted by the Trust responsible to the Managing Trustee. The Committee may decide to pursue work broadly along the same lines as carried out so far, or redefine the scope of work within the broad parameters.

This decision of the Trust in no way reflects upon and nor is prejudicial to the academic and other work of CSER and its staff.

For any further information please contact the Managing Trustee (Padma Prakash) at anusandhan.trust91@gmail.com or Nobhojit Roy, facilitator of the Research Committee on Ethics at nobsroy@gmail.com.

July 1, 2013

Close

x