Testing of Soaps and Detergents on Animals to Be Soon Banned in India

India will no longer conduct tests for soaps and detergents on animals, as a ban on such testing is soon going to come into effect. Here’s more. 

There is some great news for animals in India. After a number of meetings and talks, all animal testing of soaps and detergents is finally being banned in the country.

The final decision has come a month after an environment ministry committee took the call.

Source: Flickr

According to a report in Economic Times, the demand for this ban was being pushed by the Union Minister for Women & Child Development and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

The ban will soon be notified by the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and the commerce ministry. The decision was taken on Aug 24, 2015 in a meeting of Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA). The committee, which is a part of the environment ministry led by Prakash Javadekar, unanimously agreed on the ban.

The centre government has formed the CPCSEA with the aim of taking measures to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering during the performance of such experiments. Thus, all organizations which conduct research and education programs involving animals, have to follow some guidelines laid down by CPCSEA.

Maneka Gandhi told ET that she has been taking up this matter since the start, and decision has come after several rounds of meetings. The ban had been first recommended to DIPP by the Bureau of Indian standards. DIPP then made the reference to CPCSEA, which is an authorised body for any such issue.

“It is a decision even the industry welcomes as parameters for chemicals have already been established and decided upon by now. There is no point in repeated animal testing. The move has taken quite some time to come and I am happy that it has finally been achieved,” said Gandhi.

The committee has informed that the ban will come into effect immediately.

“With CPCSEA having taken the final call, no animal testing of any kind of soaps or detergents will be permitted from now on. DIPP and commerce ministry are expected to shortly issue directions on the same and notify the ban,” a committee member told the Economic Times.

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