PETA India Seeks Withdrawal of Draft Lab Rules, Flags Animal Welfare Risks

Animal rights organisation PETA India on Monday urged the Centre to withdraw its proposed rules on laboratory experimentation, alleging that several provisions could weaken existing safeguards and expose animals to greater suffering.

The proposed Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026 seek to regulate the use, breeding and care of animals in scientific and educational experiments. The draft was issued for public comments by the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA).

PETA India claimed that the proposed framework could permit the capture and use of certain animals protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for experiments, subject to scientific justification and legal permissions. It also raised concerns over provisions that could allow experiments on stray dogs and cats under specified circumstances.

The organisation said the draft could reduce independent oversight by allowing Institutional Animal Ethics Committees (IAECs) to approve experiments classified as mild or moderate on larger animals, including dogs, horses, pigs and cattle, without prior approval from the central CCSEA.

PETA India also objected to provisions that it said would continue to accommodate experiments involving severe suffering. Although the draft prohibits prolonged severe suffering that cannot be alleviated, the organisation argued that further safeguards were needed.

Meanwhile, India has recognised several non-animal testing methods for non-clinical drug assessment. An amendment to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules in March 2023 included methods such as cell-based assays, organ chips, microphysiological systems and computer modelling. The government has also reported research projects exploring alternatives to animal testing.