UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Industry body flags concern over proposed pesticides Bill

Question 1

The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 (like the lapsed 2020 Bill) replaces the term 'insecticide' of the Insecticides Act, 1968 with 'pesticide'. Which one of the following best describes how the substance brought under regulation is defined in the new legislation?

Accepted Answer

Any chemical or biological formulation intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or controlling any pest, whether for agricultural or non-agricultural use

Answer

Only those chemical formulations that are expressly listed in a Schedule appended to the enactment

Answer

Only synthetic chemical compounds used to kill insects on notified food crops

Answer

Any substance registered as a hazardous chemical under the environment protection framework

Question 2

The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 proposes to set up new institutional machinery to replace the regulatory arrangement under the Insecticides Act, 1968. How many new statutory bodies does the draft Bill propose to establish for registration and standard-setting?

Accepted Answer

Two

Answer

One

Answer

Three

Answer

Four

Question 3

With reference to the differences between the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Pesticide Management Bill, 2020, consider the following statements:
1. The Insecticides Act, 1968 prescribed a time limit of 12 months for deciding registration, whereas the Pesticide Management Bill, 2020 did not specify any time limit for registration.
2. The Pesticide Management Bill, 2020 raised the maximum fine for offences to Rs 40 lakh, which was higher than the penalties available under the 1968 Act.
3. The Insecticides Act, 1968 defined 'insecticide' to cover all chemical and biological formulations, a scope which the 2020 Bill narrowed down to only scheduled substances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

2 and 3 only

Answer

1 and 3 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3

Question 4

Successive attempts to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 — including the 2008 and 2020 Bills and the 2025 draft — have been piloted by which one of the following ministries/departments of the Union Government?

Accepted Answer

Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Answer

Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Answer

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Answer

Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Question 5

The industry demand for 'Protection of Regulatory Data' for new agrochemical molecules draws on an international obligation to protect undisclosed test data submitted for marketing approval. This obligation is contained in which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

Article 39.3 of the TRIPS Agreement

Answer

Article 27 of the TRIPS Agreement

Answer

Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement

Answer

Article 10bis of the Paris Convention

Question 6

In the Indian legislative record on pesticide reform, which one of the following was the first draft/Bill to recognise the need for a regulatory data protection framework?

Accepted Answer

The Pesticide Management Bill, 2008

Answer

The Pesticide Management Bill, 2020

Answer

The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025

Answer

The Insecticides Act, 1968

Question 7

Under the Insecticides Act, 1968, the Central Insecticides Board (CIB) — the advisory body on technical matters relating to the administration of the Act — is headed by which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Director General of Health Services

Answer

The Agriculture Commissioner

Answer

The Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Answer

The Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Question 8

The Registration Committee proposed under the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 draws its members from various agencies. Consider the following as members of that Committee:
1. A representative of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
2. The Drugs Controller General of India
3. A representative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
4. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a member of the Registration Committee?

Accepted Answer

4 only

Answer

1 and 3

Answer

2 only

Answer

3 and 4

Question 9

With reference to CropLife India and its stance on the draft Pesticides Management Bill, consider the following:
1. It represents about 70% of India's domestic crop-protection industry.
2. It has sought a time-bound registration process for new molecules.
3. It has sought regulation of the e-commerce/online sale of pesticides.
4. It has demanded that the regulation of pesticides be transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 3 only

Answer

1 and 4 only

Answer

2, 3 and 4 only

Answer

1, 2, 3 and 4

Question 10

In April 2026 the Union Agriculture Minister announced that legislation on farm inputs is nearly ready to be tabled in the upcoming session of Parliament. How many distinct farm-input laws did he indicate would be brought?

Accepted Answer

Two

Answer

One

Answer

Three

Answer

Four

Question 11

In the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard, which one of the following classes denotes the most (extremely) hazardous category of pesticides?

Accepted Answer

Class Ia

Answer

Class Ib

Answer

Class II

Answer

Class III

Question 12

Arguing that the absence of a data-protection framework causes an 'innovation lag' and delays farmer access to new molecules, the industry body has pressed for a time-bound Protection of Regulatory Data (PRD) framework in its 2026 submission. For how many years of data protection has it specifically pressed?

Accepted Answer

Five years

Answer

Three years

Answer

Seven years

Answer

Ten years

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Industry body flags concern over proposed pesticides Bill

Q1. The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 (like the lapsed 2020 Bill) replaces the term 'insecticide' of the Insecticides Act, 1968 with 'pesticide'. Which one of the following best describes how the substance brought under regulation is defined in the new legislation?

Q2. The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 proposes to set up new institutional machinery to replace the regulatory arrangement under the Insecticides Act, 1968. How many new statutory bodies does the draft Bill propose to establish for registration and standard-setting?

Q4. Successive attempts to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 — including the 2008 and 2020 Bills and the 2025 draft — have been piloted by which one of the following ministries/departments of the Union Government?

Q5. The industry demand for 'Protection of Regulatory Data' for new agrochemical molecules draws on an international obligation to protect undisclosed test data submitted for marketing approval. This obligation is contained in which one of the following?

Q6. In the Indian legislative record on pesticide reform, which one of the following was the first draft/Bill to recognise the need for a regulatory data protection framework?

Q7. Under the Insecticides Act, 1968, the Central Insecticides Board (CIB) — the advisory body on technical matters relating to the administration of the Act — is headed by which one of the following?

Q10. In April 2026 the Union Agriculture Minister announced that legislation on farm inputs is nearly ready to be tabled in the upcoming session of Parliament. How many distinct farm-input laws did he indicate would be brought?

Q11. In the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard, which one of the following classes denotes the most (extremely) hazardous category of pesticides?