The draft Bill seeks to modernize India’s pesticide regulatory framework by replacing the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971.

Key provisions of Draft Pesticide Management Bill, 2025: 

• Central Pesticides Board: A multi-sectorial body to advise the government on safety standards, disposal criteria, and the inclusion of new molecules in the official Schedule.
• Registration Committee: A technical committee tasked with scrutinizing pesticide applications in a mandatory digital mode before granting a certificate of registration.
• Digital Transparency: Provisions for a National Register of Pesticides and online tracking of manufacture, stock, and sales records to curb the distribution of falsified products.
• Deemed Registration: To prevent bureaucratic delays, if committee fails to decide on a complete application for a "generic pesticide" within 18 months, certificate is deemed to have been granted.
• Surveillance and Protection: A defined framework for reporting and analyzing poisoning occurrences and a dedicated plan for medical facilities to handle such exigencies.
• Quality of pesticide: Provides for mandatory accreditation of testing laboratories, ensuring that only quality pesticides are available to farmers.
• Worker Welfare: It mandates standards for training and working conditions for workers involved in handling toxic pesticides, addressing a critical gap in occupational health.