New lab animal testing draft rules draw criticism from animal rights groups

The government has issued new draft rules for the control and supervision of laboratory animal experiments, breeding, and trading, drawing sharp criticism from animal rights groups across the country. Animal welfare organisation PETA stated that the draft rules could weaken existing animal protections. The public can submit comments on these draft proposals until November 5, 2026.

Changes in Approvals

The draft rules propose shifting experiment approvals to local institutional-level ethics committees for mild and moderate procedures. Under older regulations, centralised oversight by the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals was required for any tests on animals above the level of rodents and small animals like rabbits and birds. Local institutional committees would now be empowered to approve these if deemed mild or moderate, leaving only severe or non-recovery experiments for central committee review.

Concerns and Wild Animals

Critics argue that letting internal committees approve procedures creates a conflict of interest because a majority of their members belong to the approving institute itself. Surat Parvatam of Humane World for Animals India pointed out that categorising procedures like inducing tumours as moderate relies on human perception rather than the actual impact on the animal. The new rules also allow the use of wild and stray animals in experiments with permission from a competent authority, alongside permitting labs to source farm animals from open markets.

Context

Animal testing regulations balance scientific research needs with ethical standards for preventing cruelty to living creatures. Institutional ethics committees play a central role in monitoring laboratory practices across research facilities in the country.