Centre Proposes Nationwide Ban on Paraquat Dichloride Herbicide

Wednesday, 15 July 20262 min read1

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EnvironmentDeep Analysis

Why This Matters

On 13 July 2026, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a draft "Banning of Paraquat Dichloride Order, 2026" proposing to prohibit the manufacture, import, transport, distribution, sale and use of paraquat dichloride across India, citing severe and often fatal health risks. The order is open for public comments for 30 days before a final decision, making it one of the most consequential pesticide-regulation moves currently under discussion.

Paraquat, a widely used contact herbicide for weed control in tea, coffee and several other plantation and field crops, has been linked globally to fatal poisonings and chronic health effects. It has no specific medical antidote — ingestion of even small quantities can be fatal, and it causes irreversible lung, kidney, liver, skin and eye damage.

For aspirants preparing for UPSC, UPPSC, MPSC, and other state PSC exams, this topic is directly relevant for GS Paper 3 (Environment and Biodiversity; Agriculture) and GS Paper 2 (Government Policies and Interventions for Health) and frequently features in prelims as a "banned pesticides in India" factual question.

Background

Concerns about paraquat's toxicity are not new — the herbicide has faced restrictions or outright bans in more than 70 countries, including the European Union (since 2007) and China, largely because of its role in accidental and suicidal poisoning deaths in agrarian communities, where the chemical is often stored in unlabelled containers alongside drinking water and food.

In India, regulatory scrutiny intensified after repeated reviews of the herbicide by the Registration Committee under the Insecticides Act, 1968. On 14 January 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare constituted an Expert Committee specifically to examine the continued registration and use of paraquat dichloride in India. The committee submitted its findings on 12 June 2026, recommending a phase-out, which formed the basis for the 13 July draft order.

India's pesticide regulatory architecture rests on the Insecticides Act, 1968, administered through the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) — a statutory body, not a constitutional one — which registers, restricts or bans pesticides based on toxicological and environmental risk assessment.

Key Points

The Draft Order

Issued on 13 July 2026 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as the "Banning of Paraquat Dichloride Order, 2026".
Proposes to prohibit manufacture, import, transport, distribution, sale and use of paraquat dichloride nationwide.
Open for public and industry comments for 30 days before a final notification is issued.

Basis for the Ban

Paraquat has no specific antidote; even small ingested quantities can be fatal.
Causes irreversible lung damage and can severely affect kidneys, liver, skin and eyes.
An Expert Committee, constituted 14 January 2026, examined its continued registration and submitted its report on 12 June 2026.

Regulatory Process

The Registration Committee functions under the Insecticides Act, 1968 — a statutory (not constitutional) regulatory framework.
The Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) sits under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
If finalised, India would join over 70 countries — including the European Union and China — that have banned or phased out paraquat.

Sectoral Impact

Paraquat is widely used as a contact herbicide in tea, coffee and other plantation and field crops.
Plantation associations and agrochemical manufacturers are expected to submit representations during the comment period seeking a phased withdrawal and safer alternative formulations.
Syllabus relevance: UPSC GS Paper 3 — Environment and Biodiversity, Agriculture (input regulation); state PSC prelims under Environment/Agriculture; mains under GS Paper 3.

Analysis

Political and Constitutional Dimensions Pesticide regulation in India straddles Union and State domains. Agriculture itself is a State subject under Entry 14 of the State List (List II), but the Insecticides Act, 1968 — the Parliamentary statute under which this ban is proposed — applies uniformly across India, and its import-prohibition component draws on the Union's exclusive power over "trade and commerce with foreign countries; import and export across customs frontiers" (Entry 41, List I). This dual basis is why the Centre can impose a nationwide manufacturing-and-import ban while field-level enforcement — licensing of dealers, inspection of stockists — remains largely a State government function.

Economic and Financial Dimensions A ban would affect agrochemical manufacturers currently producing paraquat formulations and could raise input costs for plantation crops such as tea and coffee, where paraquat is valued for fast, non-selective weed control. Industry bodies are likely to seek a transition period and government support for adopting costlier but safer alternative herbicides or integrated weed-management practices.

Social Dimensions The ban is fundamentally a public-health and occupational-safety measure aimed at protecting farm labourers and smallholder farmers, who face the highest exposure risk and are frequently the victims of both accidental and intentional poisoning incidents involving paraquat in rural India.

Governance and Administrative Dimensions The 30-day consultation window reflects the standard procedure under the Insecticides Act, 1968, for altering a pesticide's registration status, requiring the Registration Committee to weigh objections from manufacturers, farmer groups and health experts before a final order is notified. Effective enforcement will require coordination between the CIB&RC, State agriculture and pollution-control departments, and Customs authorities to prevent illegal imports after the ban takes effect.

International Perspective India's move aligns it with a global regulatory trend — paraquat is already banned or restricted in the European Union, China and over 70 other countries — reflecting a broader international shift away from highly hazardous pesticides in agriculture.

Way Forward

The Ministry should ensure a genuinely inclusive 30-day consultation, incorporating input from plantation associations, farm-worker unions and toxicologists before finalising the order.
A phased withdrawal timeline — rather than an abrupt ban — should be considered for tea and coffee estates with limited short-term access to alternative herbicides.
State agriculture departments should be resourced to run farmer-awareness campaigns on safe handling and eventual discontinuation of paraquat stocks.
Subsidised access to safer alternative herbicides or integrated weed-management techniques should accompany the ban to prevent an economic shock to smallholders.
Customs and State pollution-control authorities should strengthen surveillance against illegal imports and stockpiling ahead of the ban's enforcement.
Practice on PSCPrep: Attempt previous year questions on pesticide regulation and environmental governance for free — search "paraquat ban India" in the PYQ section at PSCPrep to practise UPSC and state PSC questions on this topic without creating an account.

What can be asked in exam?

•Prelims angle: factual question on key term, scheme, or institution mentioned in this article.
•Mains angle: short analytical answer on policy impact, challenges, and way forward.

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