Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023

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    • The Central Government has notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, under Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 and after superseding the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001.

    Key highlights of Rules

    • Animal Birth Control programme for the sterilization and immunization of stray dogs are to be carried out by the respective local  bodies/municipalities/Municipal Corporations and Panchayats.
    • Animal Birth Control Programme needs to be carried out by AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) recognized organization.
    • The Municipal Corporations need to implement the ABC and Anti Rabies Program jointly. 
    • Also, the Cruelty involved for carrying out the ABC programme needs to be addressed.
    • The Rules also provide guidelines on how to deal with the human and stray dog conflicts without relocating the dogs in an area.

    Significance

    • It will help in reducing the stray dog population addressing the animal welfare issues.
    • It also addresses new challenges such as cat population management and resolution of conflict.

    Issue of stray dogs 

    • India has more than 1.5 crore stray dog population.
    • Over the last five years, more than 300 people — mostly children from poor and rural families — have been killed by dogs. 
    • Worse still, dogs are responsible for over 20,000 rabies deaths.

    Other Steps taken by government 

    • Vaccination drives to protect stray dogs against diseases such as rabies. For example, Vaccination drive in Chennai in 2020
    • Collaboration with NGOs like Blue Cross Society in Maharashtra, to conduct sterilization and vaccination drives for stray dogs.
    • Awareness campaigns like “Be a Human, save a Life” by Delhi government to encourage people to adopt stray dogs and help control their population.

     

    Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA), 1960

    • It is the first enacted law for safeguarding the rights and protecting the animals from pain and suffering inflicted by humans. 
    • Definition:
      • The Act has established the definition of animals to include any living creature other than human beings and different forms of animals. 
    • Offences & punishments:
      • In order to protect the animals from lifetime agony and pain, the Act has set forth punishments for offenders who cause unnecessary suffering and cruelty towards animals. 
      • The Act further discusses different forms of cruelty inflicted on animals, its exceptions and the process of killing a suffering animal, when cruelty has been imposed, to avoid any further suffering for that animal. 
    • Guidelines for experimenting on an animals:
      • The Act underlines the guidelines to be followed while experimenting on an animal for scientific purposes and exhibition of performing animals along with their offences.
    • Animal Welfare Board of India:
      • One of the features that the Act specifies is the establishment of the Animal Welfare Board of India (hereinafter AWBI)

    Source: PIB

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