Ban on animal testing for soaps, detergents
The environment ministry decided to forbid all animal testing of "soaps and detergents". The decision was actively pushed by the animal-rights activist and minister Maneka Gandhi. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and the commerce ministry will soon send the ban notification. The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals took the decision on 24 August 2015.
Household-testing ban demands get support
PETA India's crusade to outlaw household product testing on animals received support from notable dignitaries. The Mahatma Gandhi–Doerenkamp Centre for Alternatives to Use of Animals in Life Science Education and the Animal Welfare Board of India officials expressed their support to PETA. Apart from that, appeals were sent on PETA's behalf to Sonia Gandhi, LK Advani, Pranab Mukherjee, Tariq Anwar, and Yashodhara Raje Scindia.
Pamela Anderson pushes for ban on animal testing
PETA roped in the Baywatch star Pamela Anderson to write to the Indian Health Ministry to call for repealing the testing on animals for household products.
India most likely to ban testing on animals
The Soaps and Other Surface Active Agents Committee of the Bureau of Indian Standards, which decides which experiments are necessary under Indian Standards decided to take-off animal tests from pre-requisites. This would mean ending the testing of household-products, such as cleaners and detergents on animals in India. PETA's science policy advisor said that this was made possible by popular support.
India bans import of animal-tested cosmetics
Giving respite to the lab animals, India banned the import of all cosmetics "that has been tested on animals". With this ban on animal tested beauty products, India became the first country in South Asia to become a cruelty-free zone. This was a clear win for India's Be Cruelty Free campaign, which had garnered support from 30 Indian legislators.
UGC follows PETA's lead
The University Grants Commission endorsed PETA's plea and has asked all the universities under it to suspend "experimenting with animals as research in their laboratory."
Already approved drugs to ban further animal-tests
The Indian Investigational New Drugs Division asked the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) to ban the tests on animals for new drug registrations. This was for the products where "complete data from earlier toxicity experiments" was already available and the drugs had been previously approved abroad. This move will save the lives of thousands of animals who die during the repeat experiments every year.
Israel the only other country to ban animal testing
Other than India, the only other country that has banned animal testing for household products is Israel.
