Frame SOP governing participation of elephants in temple events, religious functions, Madras HC directs Tamil Nadu government
Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan order that the draft SOP must be placed before the court on October 30, 2026
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the use of elephants in religious functions and temple festivals. This directive comes after a public interest litigation petition filed by the Seva Trust. The court emphasized that the SOP must comply with animal welfare and safety standards, and must be in line with constitutional values and statutory safeguards.
The court directed the formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising the Chief Wildlife Warden, HR&CE Commissioner, and expert veterinary officers to draft the comprehensive SOP. The JWG must also form district level committees (DLCs) for granting approval. The SOP should cover pre-festival health and microchip verification, transportation protocols, safety and environmental thresholds, and handler standards. The draft SOP must be submitted to the court by October 30, 2026.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
