A judge of the Rajasthan High Court today recommended that the cow be declared the national animal of India and also that punishment in the state for cow slaughter be increased from the current 10 years' imprisonment to a life term. Judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma said Rajasthan's most senior bureaucrat, the Chief Secretary, must coordinate with the Centre on his recommendation. "Nepal is a Hindu nation and has declared the cow as its national animal...It is expected from the state government that they should take action to get a legal entity for the cow in this country," said Justice Sharma, who retires today.
