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CHENNAI: The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has asked for stricter penalties in proposed amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The central government has started stakeholder consultations to amend the PCA Act 1960, which although a post-constitutional law, is an insufficient development of the colonial law (the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1890 Act) it replaced. For example, the punishment of Rs 50 for an offence of cruelty, dates back to the 1890 Act. In addition, the 1960 Act reduces the punishment of cruelty, pegging it across a range of Rs 10 to Rs 50 for a first-time offender and Rs 25 to Rs 100 for a repeat offender. So, FIAPO has called for stricter punishments, plugging lacunae in existing laws, graded response to reflect severity of the crime and making all crimes/offences under the PCA Act cognizable.
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CHENNAI: Every day, cases of cruelty to animals are reported across the country. But the perpetrators often get away unscathed as the penalty for a first-time offender is a meagre Rs 50 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960.
Animal welfare activists have been trying for decades to amend the Act and pushing for more stringent penalties. And now the general public also has an opportunity to weigh in the issues. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Union ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying are accepting suggestions from the public.
“On April 15, the ministry of agriculture held a webinar inviting stakeholders to discuss amendments to the PCA Act 1960,” said Chinny Krishna, co-founder, Blue Cross of India, and former vice chairman of AWBI, adding that from 1996, the AWBI had been recommending changes to the PCA Act to the government.
Court issues notice to animal welfare board
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Asiad Circus appeals to quash letter barring its operations
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Asiad Circus appeals to quash letter barring its operations
The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) on a plea by Asiad Circus, seeking to quash a letter issued by the Board barring it from functioning for alleged violation of various animal protection laws.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh issued notice to AWBI and sought its stand on the plea by Asiad Circus, which has contended that the Board inspected its owner’s residence and not its premises, which was at a different location, for finding out the conditions in which the animals were being kept.
Despite a history of violence against animals, India does not have a formal record of this cruelty scroll.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scroll.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Stop unethical farm practices
The pandemic is only a trailer of the havoc they can cause humanity
Last January, China reported it’s first death from the novel coronavirus. And soon enough, the Wuhan wet market became infamous across the world, as the possible source of the virus that jumped species from bat to humans.
Wet markets sell live, sometimes wild and endangered animals as well, to cater to those that seek exotic meat. A year on, a team from the World Health Organization is in China to trace the origin of the virus.
This takes place even as India deals with bird-flu, and poultry farms kill their birds to break the transmission-chain. Such scenes have been witnessed from across the world, following the “mad-cow” disease, swine-flu, and so on. Farm animals including cows and pigs were culled, calling into question practices at these farms. A new study into aquaculture by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) and All Creatures Great and Sm