The
Animal Protection Index (API) established by ‘World Animal Protection (WAP)’,
is a level of 50 nations around the world according to their regulation and policy
pledges to defending animals. The ‘World Animal Protection is a Global
non-profit animal welfare organisation that has been in action for over 39
years. The dream of WAP is A biosphere where animals alive free from distress -
together we can change the world for animals.
The first edition of API was published in 2014. The procedure of API was planned by
a working group including the subsequent non-profit animal welfare organisations
controlled by World Animal Protection (WAP): -
·
World Animal Protection
·
Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
·
Euro Group for Animals
·
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
·
Humane Society International
· Compassion in World Farming
Ranking
of India on animal protection
The API ranked countries
on animal protection within the scoring bands of A-B-C- D-E-F-G, where ‘A’
represents the highest results and ‘G’ identifies countries with a lot of scopes
for improvement. Overall and indicator-wise ranking of India on animal
protection as per API is summarised below: -
Goal
1:
- Acknowledgment of animal sentience and exclusion of animal distress
Description: - Evaluates whether animal sentience
has been acknowledged in regulation and discovers the core legislative safeguards
established in animals.
Indicators & ranking: -
·
Animal sentience is formally recognized in
legislation, Rank C
·
Laws against causing animal suffering, Rank B
Goal
2: - Existence of animal welfare law.
Description: - Explores animal protection
laws concerning various categories of animals as mentioned in the indicators.
Indicators & ranking: -
·
Protecting animals used in farming, Rank E
·
Protecting animals in captivity, Rank C
·
Protecting companion animals, Rank C
·
Protecting animals used for draught and recreation,
Rank D
·
Protecting animals used in scientific research, Rank
B
·
Protecting the welfare of wild animals, Rank E
Goal
3: - Establishment of supportive government bodies
Description: - Examines government
commitment to animal protection
Indicators & ranking: -
·
Government accountability for animal
welfare, Rank B
Goal
4: -
Provision for international animal welfare ethics
Description: - Looks at whether the OIE’s
welfare ethics have been combined into law or plan, and whether the government is
helpful of the universal statement on animal welfare.
Indicators & ranking: -
·
OIE animal welfare standards, Rank E
·
Provision for the universal statement on
animal welfare, not ranked
Overall
Ranking of India: - C
From the above details,
we can draw the following conclusions:
Three indicators obtained
‘B’ ranking
·
Laws against causing animal suffering
·
Protecting animals used in scientific
research
·
Government accountability for animal
welfare
Three indicators obtained
‘C’ ranking
·
Animal sentience is formally recognized in
legislation
·
Protecting animals in captivity
·
Protecting companion animals
One indicator obtained
‘D’ ranking
·
Protecting animals used for draught and
recreation
Three indicators obtained
‘E’ ranking
·
Protecting animals used in farming
·
Protecting the welfare of wild animals
·
OIE animal welfare standards
The overall ranking of
India in API, 2020 is ‘C’ within seven-letter bands, ranging from A (the
highest score) to G (the lowest score). It is to be noted that, India’s ranking
has stayed the same since the 2014 API.
Key
Recommendations for API
· Animals used in research should be
protected from unnecessary pain and suffering and include stringent penalties
in legislation regulating the use of animals for scientific research.
· Repeal Section 14 of the PCA Act which
exempts animals used in experiments to be considered cruel, under the cruelty
criteria.
· Mainstream and promote the Three ‘R’s –
Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.
· Ranking Extend the ban of vivisection at
the national level, for all education levels up to and including high school.
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