Context: Recently, the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian inaugurated an Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Centre at the Kochi airport.

• The service would allow people to bring home pets and would be a great service to animal lovers arriving here from abroad with pets.

• Import of live animals – At present, live animals, including pets, are imported through 6 major entry points where AQCS stations are located.

• The 6 major entry points are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

About Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS)

• It aims to prevent the ingress of dangerous exotic diseases into the country through imported livestock and livestock products.

• It also envisage provision of an Internationally acceptable certification service for the livestock & livestock product exported to other countries from India confirming to the health requirements of the importing country or the health regulations prescribed in the International Zoo Sanitary code.

• Objectives – To prevent the ingress of any Exotic Livestock Diseases into India through importation of livestock & livestock products as per the provisions of Livestock Importation Act.

• To provide an internationally accepted certification service for augmenting export and to increase National income.

• To inspect and register the plants/mills exporting the animal by-products.

• Need for it – To keep the country free from many exotic diseases and AQCS plays an important part to maintain the country disease freedom.

• Regulation – Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying regulates the import of livestock and livestock products under the Livestock Importation Act of 1898, amended in 2001.

• The focuses on preventing the introduction of exotic diseases into India.