The Central Government has unveiled the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, aimed at combating the growing menace of spurious pesticides and strengthening farmer welfare through stricter regulation and the use of technology.
The government has invited comments and suggestions from the public, which must be submitted in a specified format by February 4.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) has prepared the draft legislation to replace the existing Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticides Rules of 1971, aligning the regulatory framework with present-day requirements.
The move comes amid a rise in complaints from farmers about counterfeit and spurious pesticides and insecticides allegedly being sold in the market, causing significant financial losses.
During a month-long outreach campaign in June 2025, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan heard grievances from farmers across several states regarding fake seeds and pesticides that were affecting crop yields and livelihoods.
According to the government’s official release, the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 is “farmer-centric” and incorporates several key provisions. The revised bill places strong emphasis on transparency and traceability to ensure better services for farmers, thereby promoting “ease of living”.
The draft legislation introduces reform-oriented measures, including the use of technology and digital processes to streamline regulatory procedures. It also proposes stricter controls on spurious pesticides through enhanced penalties to act as a stronger deterrent.
In addition, the draft allows state-level authorities to impose higher penalties in cases of compounding offences, strengthening enforcement at the local level.
The bill also proposes amendments to improve administrative control and the overall management of pesticides, while attempting to strike a balance between improving the quality of life for farmers and ensuring “ease of doing business”. It further mandates the accreditation of testing laboratories to ensure that only quality pesticides reach farmers.
Recently, enforcement agencies detected a large, organised network allegedly involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit and spurious agrochemicals across Gujarat, posing serious risks to farmers’ livelihoods, consumer safety and India’s agricultural economy.
In a related development, the government had circulated a draft Seeds Bill last year, although it was not introduced in Parliament.