New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- The Centre has released the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, proposing to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. The move comes after years of delay, even as the indiscriminate use of pesticides and the growing presence of spurious products have underscored the need for stronger regulation of the sector.

Efforts to overhaul pesticide regulation date back to 2008-09. Another version of the Bill was introduced in 2017-18, followed by a revised draft tabled in the Rajya Sabha in March 2020. That version was referred to a parliamentary standing committee but never enacted. The latest draft-Pesticides Management Bill, 2025-seeks to introduce a contemporary regulatory framework to en...