The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has published draft rules to further amend the Insecticides Rules, 1971, by introducing a new, mandatory import permit and associated fee for individuals intending to import insecticides for non-insecticidal or industrial use.
The draft rules, called the Insecticides (Amendment) Rules, 2025, were notified on November 18, 2025. The Central Government has invited objections or suggestions from all affected persons for a period of thirty days from the date of publication. Comments should be forwarded to the Joint Secretary (Plant Protection) via post or email (muktanand.ias08@nic.in).
New Import Permit and Procedure
The key amendment introduces a new clause (b) under Rule 4, establishing a formal process for granting an Import Permit:
An Import Permit is required for any person wishing to import insecticides for non-insecticidal/industrial use.
The application must be submitted in the newly introduced FORM IA and must include all required particulars, along with a prescribed non-refundable fee of Rs 5,000/-.
The Registration Committee is mandated to consider and dispose of the complete application preferably within 45 days, which may be extended by a maximum of 15 additional days. The Committee retains the power to conduct an enquiry to verify the information submitted.
Validity and Exemption
The standard validity of the Import Permit will be one year.
However, applicants holding a Certificate of Registration for the pesticide intended to be used as a raw material will receive an extended validity period:
The validity of the Import Permit shall be three years.
Mandatory Information in FORM IA
The proposed FORM IA requires detailed information from the applicant to justify the import quantity and intended non-insecticidal use:
- Product Details: Name of the insecticide, minimum purity, and source of import.
- End-Use Details: Name, licensed capacity, and installed capacity of the item being manufactured using the imported insecticide, along with the insecticide’s function and percentage required in the manufacturing process.
- Regulatory Compliance: Copies of a valid industrial license/approval and clearance/consent from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) for the manufacturing facility.
- Consumption and Justification: Self-certified year-wise quantity of the insecticide consumed during the last three years, corresponding end-product production, and detailed technical justification if the requested annual quantity is more than 10 percent higher than the three-year average consumption.
The applicant must also provide a self-certified affidavit that the imported material is not for sale but for use as per their own requirement.