The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has requested input from stakeholders and the public regarding the new draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025. This bill aims to ensure the availability of quality pesticides for farmers while decriminalizing minor offenses to enhance ease of living and business operations. The proposed legislation, designed to replace the existing Insecticides Act, 1968, and Insecticides Rules, 1971, emphasizes transparency, traceability, and technology adoption to better serve farmers.
The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, focuses on farmer-centric measures and incorporates features like transparency, traceability, and the use of technology to streamline processes. It also includes provisions for stricter control over counterfeit pesticides through increased penalties. The bill introduces compounding of offenses with higher penalties to discourage violations, to be determined by State-level authorities. Additionally, the legislation aims to balance administrative control and management of pesticides to facilitate both the quality of life and business operations for farmers.
The government has set February 4, 2026, as the deadline for receiving feedback on the Bill. All suggestions and comments will be considered in finalizing the draft bill, provided they are submitted in the specified format before the deadline. As part of the pre-legislative consultation process, the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, and the required format are accessible on the Ministry’s website for public review and feedback.
