Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Bovine Breeding (Regulation) Act, 2023.
2. (2) It shall come into force on such date2 as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (a) "artificial insemination" or "AI" means the process of depositing disease free bovine semen artificially in the uterus of a mature bovine female with intention of making it conceived;
2. (b) "artificial insemination service provider" or "AI service provider" means a person, who provides the bovine breeding services through registered artificial insemination technicians;
3. (c) "artificial insemination technician" or "AI technician" means a veterinarian or a trained artificial insemination worker, who possesses requisite qualifications, skill and experience to perform artificial insemination in bovines, as may be prescribed;
4. (d) "assisted reproductive technology" or "ART" means the techniques utilized for bovine breed improvement and treatment of infertility in bovines which includes artificial insemination involved in embryo transplant, oocyte pickup, in-vitro maturation and fertilization of bovine oocytes, embryo manipulation, freezing, storage and deposition of embryo in female genital tract, cloning, intra cytoplasm sperm injection and synchronization of oestrus;
5. (e) "assisted reproductive technology expert" or "ART expert" means a registered veterinarian, who possesses requisite qualifications, skill and experience in assisted reproductive technology for providing the assisted reproductive technology services, as may be prescribed;
6. (f) "assisted reproductive technology service provider" or "ART service provider" means a person, who provides assisted reproductive technology services through registered assisted reproductive technology experts;
7. (g) "Authority" means the Maharashtra Bovine Breeding Regulatory Authority established under section 12;
8. (h) "bovine" means a cow, cow-bull, cow-heifer, buffalo, buffalo-bull and buffalo-heifer;
   • (i) "bovine breeding activities" means breeding activities in bovines that include the use of bovine bulls, production, storage, transportation and use of frozen semen, embryos and oocytes or use of reproductive organs;
9. (j) "certified bull" means a bovine bull certified by the Authority, which is kept for semen production for a particular bovine breed and meets the prescribed standards;
10. (k) "embryo transplant or in-vitro fertilization laboratory" or "ET or IVF laboratory" means any premises, where a facility is set up for collection, processing, storage and transplant of bovine germplasm or embryos and the use of bovine semen for fertilization of oocytes by either in-vivo or in-vitro method including the deposition of bovine embryos in female genital tract of recipient bovine female;
11. (l) "Government" means the Government of Maharashtra;
12. (m) "person" shall include any company or association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not;
13. (n) "premises" means any land, premises, yard, building, vessel, vehicle or any other location used for bovine breeding activity;
14. (o) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act;
15. (p) "regulations" means the regulations made by the Authority under this Act;
16. (q) "research institute" means an institute run by a person, with intent to use live animals or semen or embryos or oocytes or reproductive organs in research, tests or experiments for scientific investigation or in a systematic search for facts;
17. (r) "semen" means the semen of cow bull or buffalo bull in any form;
18. (s) "semen bank" means any premises where the bovine semen is stored for trading or distribution;
19. (t) "semen station" means an approved premises, where a facility is set up for collection, processing, storage and distribution of bovine semen for artificial insemination;
20. (u) "State" means the State of Maharashtra;
    • (v) "veterinarian" means a registered veterinary practitioner defined in the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984 (52 of 1984).