What happened to animals in circuses that have closed down: Delhi HC asks Animal Welfare Board
New Delhi, Aug 14: The Delhi High Court has asked the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to file an affidavit on the status of animals of circuses that have closed down.
A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, which was hearing a petition by PETA (the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) India, gave three weeks to the AWBI to file the affidavit.
PETA Counsel Aman Hingorani said that an affidavit filed already by the AWBI did not specifically disclose the status of such animals.
"Mr. Rajesh Kumar Gogna, Advocate who appears for respondent No. 3 (AWBI) should ensure that a further affidavit is filed, disclosing the status of the said animals within the next three weeks," the court said in its order dated August 10.
Last year, the court was informed by the Federation of Indian Animals Protection Organisation (FIAPO) that according to a report filed by AWBI, around 740 circus animals were registered with it, but in a survey only 28 were found.
The court had then directed the AWBI and the Central Zoo Authority to find out what happened to the missing animals and file an affidavit on the status of all circus animals registered with them.
It had termed "serious" and "shocking" that there was a huge gap in the number of animals found by the AWBI, as against those registered with it, when it inspected circuses across the country.
The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals and the FIAPO had moved the high court last year for the protection of animals in circuses stranded across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PETA India claimed in its plea that due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the resultant lockdown, circuses are finding it difficult to feed the animals which left many of them vulnerable to starvation.
It sought a direction to the Centre to immediately notify the Performing Animals (Registration) Amendment Rules of 2018 which expressly prohibits the training and exhibition of performing animals in circuses and "mobile entertainment facilities".
The matter would be heard next on November 11.
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West Bengal board declares class 10 exam results, 86.83 pc students pass
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal board's class 10 results were declared on Friday, with 86.83 per cent of the total 9.71 lakh candidates passing the examination, an official said.
In last year's Madhyamik Pariksha, 86.56 per cent of the 9.84 lakh students were declared successful, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education president Ramanuj Ganguly said.
This year's examination was held from February 2 to February 12 at over 2,600 centres across the state, he said.
Abhirup Bhadra of Sarada Vidyamandir in Uttar Dinajpur district bagged the first rank, securing 698 of 700 marks. Priyotosh Mukhopadhyay of Sarojinidevi Saraswati Sishu Mandir in Birbhum was declared second with 696 marks. The third rank was shared by three students.
A total of 131 students secured the top 10 ranks, of whom 28 were girls.
Kalimpong recorded the highest percentage at 95.01, followed by Purba Medinipur at 94.02 and Kolkata at 92.31.
