Supreme Court Asks Government To Respond To Plea To Ban ART In Livestock

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the government to respond to a plea to ban Artificial Reproduction Technique (ART), including Artificial Insemination (AI), used on livestock and other animals.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde issued notice to the government, the Animal Husbandry Department, the Animal Welfare Board of India, and the National Biodiversity Authority. The petition was filed by Madurai resident Dr S. Venkatesh.

The petition said ART performed on livestock/animals without any proven biomedical need was cruel, illegal, mala fide. It is contrary to the established principles of law. It also said that invasive techniques were used on animals which were not even anaesthetised to the pain but merely restrained physically. These methods are not in accordance with the laws that have already been established.

"Reproduction is a basic natural and biological need as well as the urge of all living beings. No authority can arbitrarily trample or destroy the rights or needs of any living being including animals by means of policy or practise, which in itself against nature and natural principles," the petition stated as reported by The Hindu.

It further said that bypassing and preventing natural mating, and artificially reproducing as a principle/policy is by itself cruel. The cruelty or pain inflicted by the artificial process and the methods of reproduction in animals.

The petition said ART is violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Biological Diversity Act, the Environment (Protection) Act, and several Articles of the Constitution.