On Monday, the Supreme Court of India issued notices to the Centre, all states, and the Animal Welfare Board of India regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a national policy for managing stray cattle. The petition, filed by the Chandigarh-based NGO Lawyers for Human Rights International, emphasizes the urgent need for a uniform system to regulate the movement of stray and abandoned cattle, which has become a significant issue across the country. According to the 2019–20 livestock census, India has over 193 million cattle, and the lack of a coordinated approach has resulted in increasing accidents and agricultural damage. The petition cites alarming statistics, including 237 stray-cattle-related accidents in Madhya Pradesh with 94 fatalities, and 3,023 accidents in Odisha leading to 1,601 deaths between 2022 and 2024. In Punjab, an average of 31 deaths occur monthly due to cattle collisions. The impact on agriculture is also severe, with farmers in Himachal Pradesh abandoning large areas of land, resulting in estimated crop losses of ₹1,500-2,000 crore annually. The petition calls for a comprehensive framework for cattle management, including tagging, sheltering, and rehabilitation, and seeks enforcement of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. It argues that the current piecemeal judicial directions have failed to resolve the issue, reflecting a policy vacuum at the national level.