Definitions.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

3[(a) “adjudicating officer” means the Sub-Divisional Magistrate or any other Executive Magistrate appointed by the State Government or the Union territory administration under section 34A;

1. (aa) “animal” means,—
   • (i) cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, yak, Mithun, elephant;
   • (ii) dog, cat, pig, horse, camel, ass, mule, poultry, bees; 2. 25th August, 2009, vide notifn no. S.O. 2158(E), dated 24th August, 2009, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(ii). This Act shall come into force in all the States and Union territories except the State of Uttar Pradesh.
   • (iii) fish, mollusca, crustacean, amphibian; and
   • (iv) any other animal or bird as the Central Government may, by notification, specify;
2. (ab) “appellate authority” means the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate appointed by the State Government or the Union territory administration under section 34B;]
3. (b) “Check Post” means any place established as such by the Director to carry out checking of animals for the purpose of this Act;
4. (c) “Competent Officer” means any person or officer of the Government notified as a Competent Officer under section 17;
5. (d) “compulsory vaccination” means vaccination of any animal against any scheduled disease in respect of which vaccination is made mandatory under the provisions of this Act;
6. (e) “controlled area” means any local area which has been declared as such by the State Government under sub-section (1) of section 6;
7. (f) “defective vaccine” means any vaccine which is expired, breach in seal, contaminated, improperly stored, unlabelled or with mutilated label;
8. (g) “Director”, in relation to a State, means any officer in charge of the Department of Animal Husbandry or Veterinary Services, or both, notified by the State Government as such for the purpose of this Act; 1[(ga) “disease” or “scheduled disease” means any disease specified in the Schedule;]
9. (h) “free area” means any controlled area which has been declared as such under sub-section (5) of section 6;
   • (i) “infected animal” means an animal which is infected with any scheduled disease;
10. (j) “infected area” means an area declared as such under section 20; 2[(k) “local authority” means the Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council, Municipality, Cantonment Board, Notified Area Committee, Gram Panchayat or any other authority for the time being vested by law with the control and administration of any matters within a specified local area;
11. (ka) “notification” means notification published in the Official Gazette and the expression “notify” or “notified” shall be construed accordingly;]
12. (l) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
13. (m) “publication” includes propagation of information through the media or newspaper or any other mass media and the means of local communication such as declaration in loud voice and by beating drums in the area;
14. (n) “Quarantine Camp” means any place declared to carry out quarantine of animals and birds for the purpose of this Act; 3[((o) “registered veterinary practitioner” means a person having a Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science or Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from a recognised University and registered with the Veterinary Council of India or the State Veterinary Council;
15. (oa) “State Government” means the Government of a State or the Union territory administration;
16. (ob) “University” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (f) of section 2 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956);
17. (p) “Veterinarian” means a person having a Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science or Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from a recognised University and registered with the Veterinary Council of India or the State Veterinary Council and appointed as such by the State Government or the Union territory administration under clause (a) of section 3;
18. (q) “Veterinary Officer” means a person having a Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science or Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from a recognised University and registered with the Veterinary Council of India or the State Veterinary Council and appointed as such by the State Government or the Union territory administration under clause (b) of section 3;
19. (r) “Village Officer” means the livestock supervisor, by whatever name called, or any other officer designated or authorised as such, by notification, by the Central Government or the State Government.]

¹ Subs. by Act 2 of 2018, s. 3 and Sch. II, for “Bill, 2009” (w.e.f. 5-1-2018).

³ Subs. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch., for cl.(a) (w.e.f. 01-07-2026).

¹ Ins. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch. (w.e.f. 01-07-2026).

² Subs. by s. 2 and Sch., ibid., for cl.(k) (w.e.f. 01-07-2026).

³ Subs. by s. 2 and Sch., ibid., for cl.(o), (p), (q) and (r) (w.e.f. 01-07-2026).