The draft Laboratory Animals Rules, 2026 would replace the Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998, as amended in 2001 and 2006. These are the main differences.
| Today | Draft 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who approves | IAEC for small animals; CCSEA for large animals (CPCSEA procedures) | IAEC for mild and moderate experiments on every species (Rule 11(3)) |
| Where animals come from | Registered breeders; other legal sources only with written permission from a competent authority (2006 amendment, Rule 10(b)) | Unregistered sources or the open market for some species, with the IAEC’s approval (Rule 21(2)) |
| Anaesthesia | Required for any procedure more severe than simple inoculation or superficial venesection (1998 Rules, Rule 9(d)) | No such rule |
| Aftercare | Investigators responsible for aftercare and rehabilitation, costed into research (2006 amendment) | Left to CCSEA guidelines (Rule 15(1)) |
| What counts as a lab | Animal house facility | Includes places not wholly enclosed, and mobile facilities (Rule 2(i)) |
| How experiments are sorted | Size of the animal | Expected pain: non-recovery, mild, moderate, severe (Rule 7, Annexure I) |
| Penalty | Fine up to ₹200 (PCA Act, s.20); suspension or revocation of registration | Fine unchanged; suspension or revocation after a deficiency notice (Rule 25) |
Read the 1998 Rules and their amendments · Read the 2026 draft.
Objections can be sent to CCSEA until . Write and send yours in two minutes.
Sources
- CCSEA: Draft Laboratory Animals Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 864(E) (Gazette of India, Extraordinary, No. 793, )
- CCSEA: Compendium of CPCSEA (1998 Rules, 2001 and 2006 amendments, PCA Act Chapter IV, standard operating procedures)
