New Delhi, Jan 7: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, has prepared a fresh draft of the Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, in line with present-day requirements. The proposed legislation is intended to replace the existing Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971 framed under it.
According to the Ministry, the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 is a farmer-centric legislation and incorporates several key features aimed at improving services to farmers and promoting ease of living. The revised Bill introduces provisions for greater transparency and traceability, enabling improved regulatory oversight and better access to quality pesticides for farmers.
The draft Bill includes reform-oriented measures such as the use of technology and digital methods to streamline regulatory processes. It also provides for stricter control over spurious pesticides through the imposition of higher penalties. Provisions have been included for compounding of offences, with enhanced penalties acting as a deterrent, to be defined by State-level authorities.
Further amendments have been introduced to strengthen the administrative control and management of pesticides, while maintaining a balance between ease of life for farmers and ease of doing business. The Bill also mandates accreditation of pesticide testing laboratories, ensuring that only quality pesticides are made available to farmers.
As part of the pre-legislative consultation process, the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, along with the prescribed format for submitting feedback, has been uploaded on the Ministry’s official website of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The Ministry has invited comments and suggestions from all stakeholders and the general public on the draft Bill and its provisions. Feedback may be submitted via email in MS Word or PDF format to pp1.pesticides[at]gov[dot]in, rajbir.yadava[at]gov[dot]in, or jyoti.uttam[at]gov[dot]in.
Stakeholders have been requested to submit their comments and suggestions as early as possible, but no later than February 4, 2026, in the prescribed format. The format requires details of the individual or organization submitting the comments, including name, designation, contact details, and organizational affiliation, followed by section-wise comments and suggestions on the draft Bill.
The Ministry stated that all comments and suggestions received within the stipulated period will be considered by the Central Government while finalising the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025.
