"Sir, I have already collected 15 cases in my research project, and have not taken consent from any of the participants. What should I do now?" asked a postgraduate student in an ethics committee meeting that I happened to be attending, several years ago. Promptly came the reply from the head of the institution, who also happened to be the chairperson of the ethics committee there: "No problem, just go to any patient who is admitted in the ward and take his thumb print on the consent form." This encounter rudely awakened me to the huge gap between knowledge and practice in medical ethics.