India bans cosmetics tested on animals

India has become the first South Asian country to ban cosmetics tested on animals, The Alternative reports. Five months after India announced a national ban on animal testing for cosmetics, the ban on import of all cosmetic products which have been tested on animals comes as a breakthrough victory. Humane Society International, one of the largest global campaigning bodies on animal cruelty, had petitioned the Ministry of Health earlier this year with over 70,000 signatures requesting the import ban.

The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states, “Prohibition of import of cosmetics tested on animals. – No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country”. The imposition will come into effect on 13 November 2014, a month after it was notified, according to The Alternative. The full article is available here.