A. A. Raj and N. Biswas “For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap the joy of love.” – Pythagoras
Abstract
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 is the principal legislation on prevention of cruelty on animals in India. But, the measures for prevention of cruelty on animals in India under this sixty-three years old legislation proved to be insufficient in achieving its objectives in the light of socio-economic changes in present day scenario. The extent and application of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA), 1890 was limited in the sense that it was a mere permissive legislation as the application of the same was left with the state governments to extend it to the local areas at its discretion. The govt. has brought the Draft Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022 with enhanced punishments, depending on the harshness of the cruelty and the devaluation of money with time. Bearing in mind the harshness of the cruelty and the steep inflation rates since the enactment of the PCA Act, this Amendment Bill, 2022 was brought with updated penalties. The Bill was published for public comments on November 21, 2022 and great public support was witnessed in the public comments received in favour of the same. However, all these proposed changes will ripe benefits only after the Bill is passed and enforced accordingly. Despite the urgency of the amendment for the protection of the animals, the central government is delaying the passage of the much-awaited amendment, the Prevention of Cruelty on Animals Amendment Bill, 2022. Even though the Apex Court had directed at many instances that the law for the prevention of cruelty on animals is to be made better, more substantive and more stringent, the law could not be amended even after numbers of attempts to introduce new bills on the subject. Bills were brought on the table, so the recommendations were given, but, everything in vain. They (animals) might not speak out loud, but it is high time that we act, and replace the sixty-three years old legislation.