**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 2248 in Lok Sabha, answered on December 12, 2025, regarding the requirement of agrochemicals for crop protection in India. It confirms the government's awareness of the need for agrochemicals and outlines initiatives taken to streamline pesticide registration. The report details regulations under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and related rules for managing pesticides.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Awareness:** The government acknowledges the necessity of agrochemicals for ensuring crop protection.
* **Regulatory Framework:**
* The manufacture, import, storage, sale, distribution, and use of pesticides are regulated by the Insecticides Act, 1968, and the Insecticides Rules, 1971.
* The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, through the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC), administers these regulations.
* The CIB&RC examines and registers insecticides based on safety, efficacy, and quality evaluations.
* **Pesticide Availability:**
* Currently, 368 technical and 1139 pesticide formulations are registered for use under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
* **CIB&RC Initiatives:**
* The CIB&RC has undertaken initiatives to strengthen and streamline the registration process.
* These initiatives include timely Registration Committee meetings, digital systems for application submission, and continuous guideline revisions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers**
* *Impact:* Farmers are the end-users of agrochemicals and benefit from the government's efforts to ensure the availability of safe and effective pesticides for crop protection.
* *Action Required:* Farmers should remain informed about registered pesticides and adhere to regulations concerning their use.
**Agrochemical Manufacturers/Importers**
* *Impact:* Agrochemical Manufacturers/Importers must comply with regulations under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. They are also affected by the efficiency of the pesticide registration process.
* *Action Required:* Agrochemical Manufacturers/Importers must adhere to the procedures for registration of pesticides, and are encouraged to adopt digital systems for submission and processing of applications, and remain informed about guideline revisions.
**Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare/CIB&RC**
* *Impact:* The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, through CIB&RC, is responsible for administering regulations and streamlining pesticide registration.
* *Action Required:* The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, through CIB&RC, should continue to conduct timely registration meetings and implement digital systems for application submissions.
Key Entities Referenced
Insecticides Act, 1968: Regulates the manufacture, import, storage, sale, distribution, and use of pesticides in India.
Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC): Examines and registers insecticides in India, ensuring safety, efficacy, and quality under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Insecticides Rules, 1971: Rules made under the Insecticides Act, 1968 that govern the regulation of pesticides.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers: The ministry responsible for matters related to chemicals and fertilizers, relevant to the regulation of agrochemicals.
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: The department administering the Insecticides Act, 1968 through the CIB&RC.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2248
ANSWERED ON - 12/12/2025
REQUIREMENT OF AGROCHEMICALS
†2248. MRS RUCHI VIRA:
Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that farmers require a large stock of
agrochemicals to ensure crop protection in the country;
(b) if so, the details of the proposed initiatives to be undertaken by the Government in this
regard; and
(c) whether the regulations related to the registration of pesticides in the country are
required to be formulated to actively promote the registration of the maximum number of
molecules, so that farmers have a wide range of options to produce various crops and to tackle
their pests, diseases, weeds and resistance issues, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (c) : Yes, Government is aware of the requirement of agrochemicals to ensure crop
protection in the country. The manufacture, import, storage, sale, distribution and use of
pesticides are regulated by the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971 made
thereunder, which are being administered by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
through Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC). CIB&RC examines
and registers insecticides after due evaluation of their safety, efficacy and quality. This ensures
safe and effective pesticides are available to farmers under the provision of the said Act. As on
date, there are 368 technical and 1139 pesticides formulations registered for use in the country
under the Insecticides Act, 1968 providing a wide range of options to the farmers.
The CIB&RC has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen and streamline the
registration process for facilitating availability of pesticides to the farmers. These includetimely conduct of Registration Committee meetings for expeditious decision making to ensure
transparency and efficiency, adoption of digital systems for submission and processing of
applications and continuous revision of guidelines based on scientific advancements. These
initiatives support the availability of a wide range of safe and effective pesticides for crop
protection.
The existing regulatory framework under Insecticides Act provides a systematic and
science-based mechanism for evaluation and registration of pesticides in the country.
***