India's Draft Rules May Ease Animal Testing Approvals, Sparking Rights Concerns

Mongabay India · environment

New draft rules in India propose allowing institutional ethics committees to approve "mild" and "moderate" animal experiments, a shift from current regulations requiring central approval. These rules, open for public comment until November 5, 2026, could also permit the use of wild and stray animals and sourcing livestock from open markets. Animal rights groups, including PETA, have voiced strong opposition, arguing the proposed changes significantly weaken existing animal protections and raise concerns about conflicts of interest and subjective severity classifications.