IIT Madras Comes Under Scanner To Conduct Research On School Students Without Parent's Consent
IIT Madras has come under scanner for conducting a ‘product test’ on students without obtaining consent from their parents. The parents of the students of Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School are alleging the institute to conduct research without their permission. The school is administered by IIT Madras and operates on the IIT premises.
Considering the complaints and after the inaction of the IIT, the state education department has replaced the school principal. However, IIT Madras said that a warning has been issued to the professor involved in the study.
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The product test was conducted on August 19 and reportedly, the students were asked to wear a ‘smart insole’ inside their shoes and a smartwatch. The students in the study were asked to jump short distances during the data collection. Parents have complained that they were not informed about the test.
After not receiving a response from the IIT management, the parents filed a complaint with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), alleging that the test violates the provisions under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
However, the IIT Madras denied the clinical trials or use of medical devices during the test. It said that the activity was to test the potential cost-effectiveness of the smart insole that is assembled from commercially available components. The institute said that the activity was conducted for 10 minutes and no invasive procedure was used. The insole did not make direct contact with the bodies of the students, IIT said.
A communication from the school’s managing committee has been sent to the parents informing them of no hazardous impact of the study on students. It also mentioned obtaining the parent’s consent in any future activities.
