Call to reduce laboratory animal use is not driven by ethics alone

On October 6, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying proposed the Draft Laboratory Animals Rules, 2026 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, raising concerns over laboratory animal use in India. The ministry stated that the new rules aim to update standards for scientific and educational experiments involving animals. Critics argued that three provisions of the draft contradict the 3R principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement. Rule 4(6) permits the use of animals in teaching laboratories that phased out dissection over a decade ago under University Grants Commission guidelines. Rule 5 creates exceptions allowing species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as well as free-ranging and feral animals, to be used in experiments and training, while Rule 21(2) allows sourcing from unregistered establishments and open markets. Observers stated that these provisions threaten biodiversity, risk ecological disruption, and conflict with modern non-animal technologies and advancements in human-specific cell and gene therapies.

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The Indian Express

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Call to reduce laboratory animal use is not driven by ethics alone

Sources

More in Animal Experimentation

‘Self approval, self policing’: PETA India’s Anjana Aggarwal tears into govt’s draft rules on animal testing

PETA’s plea: Celebrities, politicians, scientists sign against Centre’s draft on animal cruelty rules

Two arrested in connection with poaching of Kuno cheetah cub

From the Library

45 live reptiles seized at Trichy airport, 2 arrested

Draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026 (GSR 864E)

Administrative (Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals) Amendment Rules, 2026