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Draft Pesticides Management Bill to replace 1968 Act

1 min readAgriculture
Battle IAS current affairs title card: Draft Pesticides Management Bill to replace 1968 Act (GS3 · Agriculture, 7 January 2026)

What happened

  • The Agriculture Ministry invited comments by 4 February 2026 on a draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971 [PIB].

Background

  • It provides for traceability, higher penalties for spurious pesticides and compounding of petty offences [PIB].

Why it matters

  • Spurious pesticides cost farmers a full season. The test is enforcement at the dealer level.

How to use this in Mains

GS-III Agriculture: cropping, MSP, PDS, food processing, land reforms

  1. As per PIB (2026-01-07): the Agriculture Ministry invited comments by 4 February 2026 on a draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971.
  2. Spurious pesticides cost farmers a full season. The test is enforcement at the dealer level.
Quotable data point

The Agriculture Ministry invited comments by 4 February 2026 on a draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971.

PIB: Draft Pesticides Management Bill, 7 Jan 2026

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: Insecticides Act 1968.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

The draft Pesticides Management Bill would replace

Answer (a) & explanation

PIB.

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Official source: PIB: Draft Pesticides Management Bill, 7 Jan 2026

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending