So, CCSEA has come up with new a draft regarding Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026. And as expected it's full of loopholes and isn't exactly animal friendly draft.
[*Have used Ai to summarize the whole draft in layman terms, you can refer to the official gazette via the link provided*]
Note: English section starts from page no. 44 of the official gazette.
This draft is the government’s new rulebook for labs that experiment on animals. Overall, it makes it easier for labs to approve their own experiments, with less outside checking.
- Labs mostly approve their own experiments.
Before, experiments on bigger animals like dogs, pigs or monkeys needed approval from the national body, CCSEA. Now, if the lab calls an experiment “mild” or “moderate,” its own internal committee can approve it. The lab also decides which label applies. It’s like letting students grade their own exams.
- The internal committee is mostly the lab’s own people.
Five of the nine members are from the lab, including the chair. Outsiders can’t easily outvote them. Government inspections come with advance warning, so labs can tidy up first.
- Wild animals and street animals can be used.
With special permission, labs can catch wild animals or use stray dogs and cats. One clause even allows skipping care for an injured wild animal “for science.” This hurts wildlife populations and can spread disease.
- Monkeys become easier to get.
The draft opens a route to breed and supply monkeys for research. Globally, this has often led to monkeys being illegally caught from the wild and passed off as “bred.”
- Animals can be bought from the open market.
Cows, goats, birds and fish can be bought from ordinary markets, not just licensed suppliers. Nobody really knows where they came from or whether they’re sick.
- Painful experiments are still allowed.
These include electric shocks the animal can’t escape, keeping dogs or monkeys alone for long periods, and running animals until exhaustion. Only pain that is extreme, long and untreatable is banned.
- “Use animals only if necessary” is just advice.
The draft says to use alternatives “wherever possible,” but nobody has to prove they tried.
- Weak punishment.
No fines are listed. A lab caught breaking rules gets 15 days to fix it. Shutdown comes only after repeated violations, and even then only the guilty section may be closed.
- No public information.
The public won’t learn how many animals are used or what happens to them.
- Sloppy writing.
There are wrong references, typos, and differences between the Hindi and English versions. Vague words leave room for misuse.
Bottom line: less outside control, more ways to source animals (including wild and stray ones), and weak penalties. That’s bad for animals and risky for nature and public health.
The public can send objections to [cpcsea-mef@gov.in](mailto:cpcsea-mef@gov.in) until around 5 November 2026.