Question- The high court of which state appointed itself as a legal guardian of cows?
(a)Uttar Pradesh
(b)Uttarakhand
(c)Rajasthan
(d)Madhya Pradesh
Answer-(b)
Related facts-
- For the first time in India, high court of uttarakhand has started the ‘parens patriae’ (parent of the country) doctrine for cow protection.
- Uttarakhand high court would hence act as the legal guardian of cows.
Parens patriae-
- Parens patriae is a latin word, means, ‘parent of the country’ .It is a doctrine that provides the court inherent power and authority to act as guardian for those who are unable to take care for themselves.
Consequences in future of this judgment-
- The high court now acts as a legal guardian of the cows in the state and protects the cow from misconduct and torture. If there are any violations in laws and rules regarding cows, the court can take suo moto cognizance and issue directions to the state.
Background of this judgment-
- PIL was filed claiming that stray cattle were being slaughtered .The waste from slaughter house was dumped into water bodies which leads to serious health problem to villagers. Hence judgment came as a response of this PIL.
Reference-
https://thewire.in/law/uttarakhand-high-court-declares-itself-legal-guardian-of-cows-in-state