Digital tracking to stop fake chemicals reaches Indian farms
Agriculture remains the backbone of India, supporting millions of livelihoods. In states like Odisha, farming is not just a job but a way of life. However, this sector relies heavily on agrochemicals to protect crops from pests and diseases. India currently stands as the fourth-largest producer of these chemicals globally. Despite this massive production scale, the laws governing pesticide usage have remained stuck in the past.
India has been operating under the Insecticides Act of 1968. This fifty-year-old law was written when farming was manual, data was scarce, and modern technology like drone spraying did not exist. Today, the agricultural landscape has changed dramatically, yet the regulations failed to keep up. This created a dangerous gap where fake fertilizers entered the market, and pesticide poisoning became a serious health risk.
Updating the Rulebook
To fix these historical issues, the government has introduced the Pesticide Management Bill, 2025. This new legislation aims to replace the obsolete 1968 Act with a system designed for the digital age. The primary goal is to ensure that the chemicals used on our soil are safe, traceable, and effective.
One of the biggest problems with the old system was the lack of transparency. Fake or substandard chemicals often reached local markets, damaging crops and harming consumers. The new Bill tackles this by introducing a central digital registry. Now, every pesticide must be digitally registered, allowing regulators to track a product’s journey from the factory to the farm. This makes it much harder for spurious products to hide in the supply chain.
Safety First for Farmers
Beyond technology, the Bill focuses heavily on human safety. For the first time, the law explicitly mentions the need for protective gear and proper training for workers handling these chemicals. It mandates that labels must be clear and standardized, ensuring farmers know exactly what they are using and the risks involved.
The Bill creates two main bodies: a Central Pesticides Board to provide scientific advice and a Registration Committee to approve or reject products based on safety data. Strict criteria regarding environmental impact and toxicity will now determine which products enter the market.
Empowering Authorities
State governments also gain more authority under this new framework. If a specific batch of pesticides is found to be harmful, states can issue temporary bans for up to one year. Penalties for selling misbranded or fake products have also been increased significantly to deter fraudsters.
While the Pesticide Management Bill is a massive step forward, it is not without flaws. Critics note that it only asks regulators to "strive" for risk reduction rather than mandating it strictly. However, by moving from paper files to digital tracking, India is finally modernizing the rules that govern the food on our plates.
