(a) the States which have banned cow slaughter and the States where cow slaughter continues;
(b) whether the Directive Principles of State Policy prohibits cow slaughter; and
(c) if so, the steps being taken by the Government to ban cow slaughter completely?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) to (c): Article 48 of the Directive Principles of State Policy states that `The State shall endeavour to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.`
However, under the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States and as enjoined by Article 246(3) of the Constitution, the preservation of cattle is a matter on which the Legislature of the State has exclusive power to legislate. The relevant entry viz. Entry 15 in List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
In pursuance of the above provision the following States/Union Territories have enacted legislation for banning / restricting the slaughter of cow and its progeny:-
States- Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Manipur.
Union Territories- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Chandigar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Pondicherry.
The following States/Union Territories have not banned the slaughter of cow and its progeny:-
State - Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagland and Tripura.
Union Territories - Lakshadweep.