PETA's plea: Celebrities, politicians, scientists sign against Centre's draft on animal cruelty rules

Several celebrities, politicians, scientists, veterinarians and animal welfare organisations have raised concerns over the proposed Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026, with more than 18,000 people signing a petition seeking its withdrawal, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.Actors John Abraham, Tabu, Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Jacqueline Fernandez, Dia Mirza, Rupali Ganguly and Wamiqa Gabbi, among others, have signed the petition, while cricketer K.L. Rahul has also endorsed the appeal, PETA India said in a statement.Several parliamentarians across political parties, including Lok Sabha MP Hema Malini, Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo, Lok Sabha MP Dr Mohammad Jawed and former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury, have also signed the appeal, it added.The appeal has also received support from more than 100 Indian and international scientists, over 100 veterinarians and more than 60 animal protection organisations, while over 18,000 people have signed a petition through PETA India's website, the statement said.The proposal seeks to replace the Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998.It seeks to reduce bureaucratic delays and fast-track approvals of pharmaceutical, medical, and academic research through institutional self-regulation.According to the Government, the draft rules actively strengthen animal welfare and ethical accountability while modernising scientific research. It has invited objections and suggestions till November 5.But PETA India claims that the proposed rules, if notified in their present form, could weaken existing safeguards for animals used in laboratory experiments.It added that the provisions could increase the capture and use of protected wildlife for experiments and allow community dogs and cats to be used in laboratories under specified circumstances.The organisation also raised concerns over the continuation of experiments involving severe pain and distress, including inescapable electric shocks, induced tumours and toxicity tests in which death is an endpoint.It further alleged that the draft rules would reduce oversight of the Central Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) over several experiments and dilute existing safeguards relating to anaesthesia, euthanasia and rehabilitation."India has already demonstrated remarkable leadership in advancing non-animal science, and that is something every Indian can be proud of. We must build on this progress, not move backward," PETA India's science and research policy advisor Dr Noopur Jain said.She called for the withdrawal of the proposed rules and the introduction of regulations that strengthen animal protection while promoting non-animal and human-relevant research methods.India has taken several steps towards replacing animal testing, including prohibiting animal testing for cosmetics in 2014 and recognising scientifically advanced, human-relevant testing methods through the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (Amendment) Rules, 2023, the organisation said.The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also supported 109 research projects involving non-animal testing methods, including organ-on-chip technologies, three-dimensional tissue models and computer-based approaches, across 71 institutes and laboratories, it added.PETA India said regulatory and scientific institutions in the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union were also accelerating the adoption of non-animal testing methods.The organisation has urged members of the public to submit objections and suggestions seeking the withdrawal of the proposed rules by November 5, 2026.The draft rules have triggered concerns among animal welfare advocates, who are calling for stronger safeguards and greater emphasis on alternatives to animal experimentation.