Prevention of cruelty to Animals Act,1960

Under the Indian Constitution, Animal Husbandry is a State subject and the Centre has not enacted any law for preservation, protection or welfare of animals except that antiquated piece of toothless legislation called ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960’. (The Government is also sitting tight on the proposal to amend this law for the last three years). The State laws enacted by various States are devised in such a way that they promote slaughter rather than curb it. The criteria made applicable for slaughtered animals are only on statute books and are rampantly flouted. In many Acts there are age-based restrictions for animals that can be slaughtered. In many cases such prescribed ages are between 12 to 16 years. However, there is an inherent contradiction between the legal situation and the demand of export markets. Export markets demand meat of young and healthy animals so that it is tasty and disease--free. The local laws permit slaughter of only aged animals. This contradiction is unbridgeable and the demands of the export market obviously prevail, whereby the country is loosing its productive, precious animals. The corruption bred on the sidelines is also unimaginable.