The KARNATAKA LIVE-STOCK IMPROVEMENT ACT, 1961.

THE KARNATAKA LIVE-STOCK IMPROVEMENT ACT, 1961. 
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
Statement of Objects and Reasons 
Sections: 
 1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
 2. Definitions. 
 3. Conferment of powers or duties of the Director. 
 4. Bulls which have attained a certain age to be licensed. 
 5. Refusal and revocation of licences. 
 6. Surrender of licence. 
 7. Grant of duplicate licence. 
 8. Inspection of bulls. 
 9. Power to order castration of bulls. 
 10. Production of licence. 
 11. Penalties. 
 12. Composition of offences. 
 13. Power of Licensing Officer to castrate bulls. 
 14. Power of Licensing Officer, etc., to inspect or mark bull and to enter premises. 
 15. Duty of Officers to report offences. 
 16. Cognizance of offences. 
 17. Officers to be public servants. 
 18. Bar of certain proceedings. 
 19. Limitation for certain suits and prosecutions. 
 20. Power to make rules. 
 21. Bull dedicated to a religious purpose. 
 22. Repeal and savings. 
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STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS 
Act 30 of 1961.-   At present in the different areas of  the State, the enactments noted below 
are in force, providing for measures to be taken for the improvement of livestock in the State— 
 1. The Mysore Livest ock Improvement Act, 1951. 
 2. The Coorg Livestoc k Improvement Act, 1950. 
 3. The Bombay Livestock Improvement Act, 1953. 
 4. The Madras Livestock Improvement Act, 1940. 
With a view to have a single uniform Act applicable to the entire new State this Act has been 
placed before the Legislature. 
The Act provides for obtaining licences to keep bulls which have attained the prescribed age 
and for castration of scrub bulls. 
(Published in Karnataka Gazette (Extraordinary) Part IV-2A dated 19th March 1959). 
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1[KARNATAKA ACT]1 No. 30 OF 1961. 
(First published in the 1[Karnataka Gazette]1 on the  Seventh day of December, 1961.) 
THE 1[KARNATAKA]1 LIVE-STOCK IMPROVEMENT ACT, 1961. 
(Received the assent of the Governor on the  First day of December, 1961.) 
An Act to provide for the improvement of live-stock in the 1[State of Karnataka]1. 
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the improvement of live-stock in the 1[State of 
Karnataka]1; 
BE it enacted by the 1[Karnataka State] 1 Legislature in the Twelfth Year of the 
Republic of India as follows:— 
1. Adapted  by the karnataka Adaptations of Laws Order 1973 w.e.f.  1.11.1973 
1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the 
1[Karnataka]1 Live-stock Improvement Act, 1961. 
 1. Adapted  by the karnataka Adaptations of Laws Order 1973 w.e.f.  1.11.1973 
(2) It extends to the whole of the 1[State of Karnataka]1. 
1. Adapted  by the karnataka Adaptations of Laws Order 1973 w.e.f.  1.11.1973 
(3) It shall come into force at once in the areas in which any of the enactments 
repealed by section 22 is in force, and shall come into force in any other area on such  
1[date]1 as the State Government may, by notification, specify. 
1. Act came into force  in other areas of  the State on 1.10.2000 by notification.  
 Text of the notification  is at the end of the Act 
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 
 ( a) “bull” includes a buffalo bull; 
 ( b) “cow” includes a buffalo cow and a heifer; 
 ( c) “Director” means the officer appointed by the State Government as the 1[Director 
of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services in Karnataka] 1, and includes any other 
person on whom the powers or duties of the Director under this Act have been conferred 
or imposed under section 3; 
1. Adapted  by the karnataka Adaptations of Laws Order 1973 w.e.f.  1.11.1973 
 ( d) “licence” means a licence granted under section 4; 
 ( e) “Licensing Officer” means the Director or any other officer authorised to grant 
licences under section 4; 
 ( f) “notification” means notification published in the official Gazette; 
 ( g) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 
 ( h) a person is said to “keep a bull” if he owns the bull or has the bull in his 
possession or custody; 
 ( i) a bull is said to be “castrated” if it is rendered incapable of propagating its 
species. 
3. Conferment of powers or duties of the Director. —The State Government may, 
by notification, confer or impose on any pers on all or any of the powers or duties of the 
Director under this Act. 
4. Bulls which have attained a certain age to be licensed. —(1) No person shall 
keep a bull which has attained the prescribed age except under and in accordance with 
the conditions of a licence granted under this section. 
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Explanation:—Where a person keeps more than one bull he shall obtain a separate 
licence in respect of each bull. 
(2) Every licence under this section shall be granted by the Director or any officer not 
below the rank of a Veterinary Inspector authorised by the Director by general or special 
order. It shall be in such form, for such period, and subject to such conditions as may be 
prescribed: 
Provided that no fee shall be charged for the grant of the licence. 
5. Refusal and revocation of licences. —(1) Subject to such rules as may be 
prescribed, the Licensing Officer may refuse to grant a licence in respect of any bull, if in 
his opinion the bull appears to be,- 
 ( a) of defective or inferior conformation and consequently, likely to beget 
defective or inferior progeny, or 
 ( b) suffering from an incurable, contagious or infectious disease or from any other 
disease rendering the bull unsuitable for breeding purpose, or 
 ( c) of a breed which is undesirable in public interest to propagate in the district or 
part of the district in which it is kept. 
(2) (a) The Licensing Officer may revoke a licence granted in respect of any bull kept 
within his jurisdiction (whether such licence was granted by himself or by any other 
officer) if there has been a breach of any of the conditions of the licence. 
 ( b) The State Government, in respect of a licence granted by the Director, and 
the officer of the Animal Husbandry Department immediately superior to the Licensing 
Officer, in respect of a licence granted by  any other officer of that Department, may 
revoke the licence, if the licence was granted under circumstances, under which it ought 
not to have been granted. 
 ( c) Before revoking a licence under clause ( a) or clause ( b), a notice shall be 
given to the person concerned of the grounds on which it is proposed to take action and 
he shall be given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against it. 
(3) If a licence is revoked under this section, the State Government or the officer 
revoking the licence shall communicate the order of revocation along with the grounds of 
revocation, to the person keeping the bull or to the person stated in the licence to be the 
owner of the bull. 
(4) Against an order either refusing to grant or revoking a licence under sub-section 
(1) or sub-section (2) an appeal shall lie within thirty days of the communication of such 
order,— 
 (i) to the State Government, if the order is that of the Director, 
 (ii) to the Director, if the order is that of any officer subordinate to the Director. 
The order in appeal shall be final. 
6. Surrender of licence.—A licence granted in respect of a bull shall be surrendered 
to the Licensing Officer, if,- 
 ( a) the period specified in the licence expires, or 
 ( b) the licence is revoked under this Act, or 
 ( c) the bull dies or is certified by the prescribed officer to have been effectively 
castrated by a method and in a manner approved by the Director. 
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The licence shall be surrendered within fifteen days from the date of its expiry or 
revocation or the date of death of the bull or the issue of the certificate that the bull has 
been castrated, as the case may be. 
7. Grant of duplicate licence. —If the Licensing Officer is satisfied that the licence 
granted under section 4 has been lost or destroyed, such officer may, subject to such 
conditions and payment of such fees, as may be prescribed, issue to the holder of the 
licence a duplicate thereof, and all the provisions of this Act with respect to the licence 
so lost or destroyed shall apply to the duplicate as if it were the original licence. 
8. Inspection of bulls. —The Licensing Officer may, by notice served in the 
prescribed manner, require any person keeping a bull to submit it for inspection at any 
reasonable time by himself or by any officer deputed by him for the purpose, either at the 
place where the bull is kept for the time being, or at any appointed place in the village, 
town or city in which the bull is kept specified in the order, and thereupon it shall be the 
duty of the person keeping the bull to submit it for inspection accordingly, and render all 
reasonable assistance in connection with such inspection to the officer concerned. 
9. Power to order castration of bulls. —(1) The Licensing Officer may, by notice 
served in the prescribed manner, require any person keeping a bull which has attained 
the prescribed age and in respect of which no licence is for the time being in force under 
this Act, to have it effectively castrated within thirty days from the date of service of the 
notice, by a method and in a manner approved by the Director and specified in the order. 
(2) Such castration shall be performed or caused to be performed by the Licensing 
Officer free of charge, unless the owner or other person keeping the bull desires to make 
his own arrangements for complying with the notice. 
10. Production of licence.—It shall be the duty of any person who for the time being 
keeps a bull in respect of which a licence has been obtained and is in force, to produce 
such licence,- 
 ( a) on demand made by a Licensing Officer or any other officer authorised in this 
behalf by the Director, within a reasonable time, at any place where the bull is for the 
time being; 
 ( b) on demand made by the person in charge of the cow before a cow is served by 
the bull. 
11. Penalties.—Whoever,- 
 ( a) keeps a bull, in contravention of the provisions of this Act or of any rule or order 
made thereunder, or of any conditions of a licence; or 
 ( b) fails to submit a bull for inspection when required to do so under section 8; or 
 ( c) fails to comply with a notice served under section 9; or 
 ( d) fails to produce a licence when required to do so under section 10; 
-shall be punishable with fine which may extend to twenty-five rupees, and in case of 
any subsequent offence, with fine which may extend to fifty rupees. 
12. Composition of offences.—(1) Any offence punishable under this Act or any rule 
made thereunder may be compounded by an officer of the Animal Husbandry 
Department not below the rank of Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry having 
jurisdiction over the area in which the offence is committed, on payment of an amount 
fixed by that officer. 
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(2) On the composition of an offence under sub-section (1), the person concerned, if 
in custody, shall be set at liberty, and if proceedings in any criminal court have been 
instituted against such person in respect of the offence, the composition shall be 
deemed to amount to an acquittal and no further proceedings shall be taken against 
such person in respect of such offence. 
13. Power of Licensing Officer to castrate bulls. —(1) If a person who keeps a bull 
fails to have it castrated when required to do so under section 9, the Licensing Officer 
may direct that the bull shall be castrated by a method and in a manner approved by the 
Director and marked with a prescribed mark in the prescribed manner, free of charge. 
(2) (a) If it is not known in whose ownership, possession or custody a bull is for the 
time being, and the fact cannot be ascertained after an enquiry in the prescribed 
manner, the Licensing Officer may seize the bull or cause it to be seized, and if he is of 
opinion that the bull has attained the prescribed age and is unsuitable for breeding 
purposes on any of the grounds specified in sub-section (1) of section 5, may direct that 
the bull be castrated by a method and in a manner approved by the Director, and 
marked with a prescribed mark in the prescribed manner, free of charge. 
 ( b)  Every bull seized under clause ( a) shall, after it has been castrated and 
marked as aforesaid, where necessary, be sold by public auction or sent to a pinjrapole 
or infirmary, recognised by the State Government in this behalf. 
 ( c)  In case the owner of any bull seized under clause ( a) appears before the 
Licensing Officer within such time as may be prescribed in this behalf and proves to the 
satisfaction of such officer that the bull is owned by him,- 
 (i) in case the bull has been sold by public auction, the proceeds of such sale shall 
be paid to the owner after deducting therefrom the costs, charges and expenses 
incurred for the maintenance and sale of the bull and determined in the prescribed 
manner; and 
 (ii) in any other case, the bull shall be de livered to the owner on payment of the costs, 
charges and expenses incurred for its maintenance, and determined in the prescribed 
manner. 
14. Power of Licensing Officer, etc., to inspect or mark bull and to enter 
premises.—For the purposes of this Act, a Licens ing Officer or any officer authorised by 
the Director in this behalf shall have power at all reasonable times,- 
 ( a) to inspect any bull; 
 ( b) to mark any bull with a prescribed mark in the prescribed manner; and 
 ( c) subject to such conditions and restrictions, if any, as may be prescribed, to enter 
any premises or other place where he has reason to believe that a bull is kept. 
15. Duty of Officers to report offences. —It shall be the duty of all village officers 
and servants and of all officers of the Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Community 
Development and Revenue Departments, and of all officers of such other Departments 
as may be notified by the State Government,— 
 ( a) to give immediate information which may come to their knowledge of the 
commission of any offence or any attempt or preparation to commit any offence, 
punishable under this Act, to the nearest Licensing Officer; 
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 ( b) to take all reasonable measures in their power to prevent the commission of any 
such offence which they know or have reason to believe is about or likely to be 
committed; and 
 ( c) to assist any Licensing Officer in carrying out the provisions of this Act. 
16. Cognizance of offences. —No Magistrate shall take cognizance of any offence 
under this Act, except upon a complaint made by a Licensing Officer or any person 
authorised by such officer in this behalf. 
17. Officers to be public servants. —The Director, every Licensing Officer, all 
officers and persons authorised by the Director or the Licensing Officer under this Act, 
and all village officers and servants shall be deemed to be public servants within the 
meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act XLV of 1860). 
18. Bar of certain proceedings. —(1) No prosecution or other proceeding shall lie 
against any officer or servant of the State Government for any act done or purporting to 
be done under this Act, without the previous sanction of the State Government. 
(2) No officer or servant of the State Government shall be liable in respect of any 
such act in any civil or criminal proceeding, if the act was done in good faith in the 
course of the execution of duties or the discharge of functions imposed by or under this 
Act. 
19. Limitation for certain suits and prosecutions. —No suit shall be instituted 
against the State Government and no suit, prosecution or other proceeding shall be 
instituted against any officer or servant of the State Government in respect of any act 
done or purporting to be done under this Act, unless the suit, prosecution or other 
proceeding is instituted within six months from the date of the act complained of. 
20. Power to make rules. —(1) The State Government may after previous 
publication, by notification, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such 
rules may provide for,- 
 ( a) all matters expressly required or allowed by this Act to be prescribed; 
 ( b) the fees which may be charged for the grant of duplicates of licences and the 
conditions, restrictions and limitations subject to which they may be granted; 
 ( c) the powers to be exercised and the duties to be performed by officers 
appointed under this Act, and the procedure to be followed by such officers; 
 ( d) the service of notices and orders issued under this Act. 
(3) In making a rule under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), the State Government 
may provide that a person guilty of a breach thereof shall be punishable with fine which 
may extend to twenty-five rupees. 
(4) Every rule made under this section, shall be laid as soon as may be after it is 
made, before each House of the State Legislature while it is in session for a total period 
of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and 
if, before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately 
following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses 
agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such 
modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however, that any modification 
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or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under 
that rule. 
21. Bull dedicated to a religious purpose.—(1) Save as provided in sub-section (2), 
nothing contained in this Act shall apply to a bull dedicated in good faith for a religious 
purpose in accordance with any religious usage or custom, provided that notice of the 
dedication is given in the prescribed manner, to the Licensing Officer. 
(2) If the Licensing Officer is of opinion that any such bull, as is referred to in sub-
section (1), is of the description set out in sub-clause (a ), or (b) or (c) of sub-section (1) 
of section 5, he may cause such bull to be effectively castrated by a method and in a 
manner approved by the Director. 
22. Repeal and Savings. —The Mysore Live-Stock Improvement Act, 1951 (Mysore 
Act XIX of 1951) as in force in Mysore Ar ea, the Bombay Live-Stock Improvement Act, 
1933 (Bombay Act XXII of 1933) as in force in 1[Belgaum Area]1, the Madras Live-Stock 
Improvement Act, 1940 (Madras Act XV of 1940) as in force in 1[Mangalore and Kollegal 
Area]1 and Bellary District, the Coorg Live-Stock Improvement Act, 1950 (Coorg Act III of 
1950) as in force in Coorg District, are hereby repealed: 
Provided that the provisions of section 6 of the 1[Karnataka]1 General Clauses Act, 
1899 (1[Karnataka]1 Act III of 1899), and sections 8 and 24 of the said Act shall apply as 
if the said enactments had been repealed and re-enacted by this Act. 
1. Adapted  by the karnataka Adaptations of Laws Order 1973 w.e.f.  1.11.1973 
 
* * * * 
NOTIFICATION 
Bangalore, dated 19th September, 2000 [HF 33 AHP 99] 
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Karnataka Live-stock 
Improvement Act, 1961 (Karnataka Act 30 of 1961) the government of Karnataka hereby 
specifies 1st day of October, 2000 as the date on which the said Act shall come into force in the 
areas other than areas specified in the said sub-section. 
 
    By Order and in the name of the Governor of Karnataka, 
 
 
           (K.C. JAYALAKSHMI) 
        Under Secretary to Government, 
                Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Dept. 
 
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