Centre releases new draft of Pesticides Management Bill 2025 to check spurious sale

Industry says absence of regulatory data protection in new draft could hamper research

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

The government on Wednesday released another draft of the Pesticides Management Bill to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968, and, under it, the Insecticides Rules, 1971.

According to an official statement, the basic thrust of the draft is to use technology and digital methods for stricter control over spurious pesticides through imposing higher penalties. Since 2000-01, there have been several attempts to amend the 1968 Act and the Rules under it but none succeeded.

There is concern in the plant-protection industry over inspectorand licence-driven regimes hindering research on new molecules in the absence of adequate regulatory data protection. The comments on the draft have to be submitted by February 4.

The draft, according to the initial reading, does not mention pricing, leaving it to the companies concerned to determine that. This was a major concern of companies.