India bans cosmetic testing on animals

India's Bureau of Indian Standards this week banned animal testing for cosmetics following intense public campaigning and legislative advocacy by Humane Society International's Be Cruelty-Free India campaign, which received support from members of parliament and state assemblies.

International Association Against Painful Experiments on Animals

The development follows a report on Tuesday that the Drug Controller-General of India (DCGI) has agreed in principle to harmonise India's regulations on cosmetics testing with Europe's Cosmetics regulations and to ensure immediate upgrading of India's safety standards in cosmetics testing using non-animal methods; which could involve revision of the relevant portions of IS 4011.

The BIS has approved the removal of any mention of animal tests from the country's cosmetics standard. The use of modern non-animal alternative tests also becomes mandatory, replacing invasive tests on animals (See: Alternative methods to animal tests).

This means that any manufacturer interested in testing new cosmetic ingredients or finished products must first seek approval from India's Central Drug Standards Control Organisation. A manufacturer will be given approval to test only after complying with the BIS non-animal standards.

Alokparna Sengupta, manager, of India for Humane Society International's 'Be Cruelty-Free' campaign, said, ''This is a major victory for countless animals who will no longer be made to suffer, and it is a proud moment for India as it becomes the first country in South Asia to end cosmetics cruelty. We thank the thousands of Indian consumers, politicians and celebrities who joined with Humane Society International to achieve this historic ban.''

Observers may be justified in saying that such a campaign makes little sense in India, where actual R&D is miniscule and even the most common flora and fauna are facing an environmental crisis that is worse than anything researchers can do to them in a lab.

But still, any honest cause is worth supporting in this increasingly cynical nation.