28/10/2026
Objections in the draft for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026, which appeared in the Gazette of India on 6 October 2026 with following three specific provisions :-
1. Rule 11(3): This rule allows mild and moderate experiments on all species to be cleared by a lab's own ethics committee. Rule 11(4) requires only that this committee report to CCSEA, not that it seek CCSEA's approval. The current requirement under CPCSEA procedures, that CCSEA must directly approve experiments on animals larger than rodents and rabbits, should be preserved.
2. Rule 21(2): Under this rule, labs would be able to procure livestock, farm animals, fish, and birds from open markets or unregistered sources, needing only their own committee's approval. The 2006 amendment to the current rules requires that any non-registered source be approved in writing by a competent legal authority. This safeguard should not be removed, and buying animals from open markets should not be allowed.
3. Rule 5(3): The draft says stray and feral animals cannot be used in experiments, but then allows a "competent authority" to override this. The term "competent authority" is not defined anywhere in the draft rules. An exception that can be granted by an unidentified authority provides no real protection and should be deleted.
Please withdraw this draft and carry out wider consultation before finalising any replacement to the 1998 Rules. A clause-by-clause comparison with the 1998 Rules should also be made publicly available. Kindly confirm receipt of this objection.
