Table 2.

Practical tips about the composition of IEC

1.	Preferably, 50% of the ethics committee members should be non-affiliated or from outside the institution.[2]
2.	The total number of members in an EC should preferably be between 7 and 15.[2]
3.	The head of the institution should appoint all EC members, including the chairperson. The chairperson should be a non-affiliated member, whereas the member secretary should be affiliated with the institute.[2]
4.	Constitution of the Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials[2] The Ethics Committee should have a minimum of seven members from medical, non-medical, scientific and non-scientific areas with at least (i) One layperson; (ii) One woman member; (iii) One legal expert; (iv) One independent member (such as a social scientist or representative of a non-governmental organization, a philosopher or ethicist, or theologian).
5.	The committee should include at least one member whose primary area of interest or specialization is nonscientific and at least one member who is independent of the institution.
6.	The medical scientists and clinicians on the ethics committee should have post graduate qualifications and adequate experience in their respective areas of specialization.
7.	Quorum requirements[2] A minimum of five members must be present in the meeting room. The quorum should include both medical and non-medical members. A minimum of one non-affiliated member should be part of the quorum. Preferably, the layperson should be part of the quorum. No decision is valid without fulfillment of the quorum.
8.	Independent Ethics Committee[3] Researchers who have no institutional attachments can apply for ethics committee approval from Independent Ethics Committees (Ind EC). The Ind EC should be a registered legal entity. The individuals who govern the Ind EC should not be members of the proposed EC, and will oversee and monitor the functioning of the Ind EC.