Lok Sabha Question No. 264 (STARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: Patented Pesticide Products
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 264

TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 th  AUGUST, 2023

## PATENTED PESTICIDE PRODUCTS

*264.  SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:(a) whether it is a fact that the country has optimum share of patented pesticide products; (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (c) the details of new pesticide products registered in last five years and the share of patent products; and

- (d) the steps taken by the Government to promote innovation in agriculture sector?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 264 DUE FOR REPLY ON 8 TH  AUGUST, 2023 .

(a) to (c): The manufacture, import, storage, sale, distribution, use, etc. of pesticides is regulated by  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968 (The Act) and the  Insecticides  Rules, 1971 (The Rules) made thereunder. The Registration Committee (RC) constituted under section (5) of the Insecticides Act, 1968 registers the pesticides for their use in agriculture and also for non-agriculture purposes, after evaluating their safety and efficacy. There is no provision enshrined in the Act and the Rules regarding patent of pesticides therefore, patent issue is not a consideration before RC for deciding on the registration.

RC has registered 330 Technical and 867 Formulations of pesticides for use in the country.  Out  of  330  technical  and  867  formulated  pesticides,  11  technical  and  110 formulations  are  under  patent.  During  the  last  five  years  44  new  pesticides  have  been registered by the RC. Out of these 4 pesticides are under patent.

(d): Section  38(2)  of  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968  provides  that  the  Central  Government may exempt any educational, scientific or research organization  engaged in  carrying out experiments with insecticides from the provisions of the Act. Accordingly, to promote the innovation  in  agriculture  in  reference  to  pesticides  sector  Government  of  India  has exempted following institutes/ agencies which are accredited by the National Accreditation Board  for  Accredited  Laboratories  or  having  Good  Laboratory  Practices  certification  with pesticides  in  their  scope  from  registration  requirements  to  import  pesticides  for  research purposes:

-  Indian Council for Agricultural Research;
-  State Agriculture Universities;
-  Institutions of Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare;
-  Department of Science and Technology;
-  Department of Scientific and Industrial Research;
-  And  also  any  other  Government  or  private  laboratory  or  pesticide  industry recognised  by  the  Department  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  or  the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

Besides,  Central  Government  is  also encouraging  Research  in  Biopesticide development.    Guidelines  on  biopesticide's  consortia  registration  have  been  developed. Fifteen different types of Biopesticides developed by ICAR / Industry have been approved for the management of pests on various crops.

Further,  use  of  Drones  for  crop  protection  in  India  is  new  and  the  country  is gaining  experience.  The  Government  has  granted  an  interim  approval  for  use  of all  the registered pesticides formulation by drones whose safety and efficacy has already been evaluated and used in the country on different crops. The Government has also released Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for use of Drone for Crop Protection.