Reference source : The Gazette of India
On 17 June 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare notified the Insecticides (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing a comprehensive digital framework for licensing, record-keeping, reporting, and regulatory compliance under the Insecticides Rules, 1971.
The amendments, published through G.S.R. 493(E), will come into force 90 days after their publication in the Official Gazette. The notification follows a public consultation process initiated in September 2025, during which stakeholders were invited to submit objections and suggestions regarding the proposed changes.
Licensing Moves Online
A key feature of the amendments is the mandatory adoption of digital processes across the insecticide sector. Applications for manufacturing licences, as well as licences to sell, stock, exhibit for sale, or distribute insecticides, must now be submitted exclusively through digitally. Manufacturers seeking licences will continue to pay a fee of ₹2,000 per insecticide, up to a maximum cap of ₹20,000.
Digital Records and Reporting Requirements
The revised rules also require manufacturers, importers, distributors, and dealers to maintain electronic records and stock registers for each insecticide. Monthly returns detailing the manufacture, import, purchase, formulation, and sale of technical-grade and formulated insecticides must be submitted electronically to the licensing authorities within 15 days of the end of each month.
Insecticide inspectors will be required to maintain digital records of inspections, sample collections, seizures, and enforcement actions. Such records must be updated within 24 hours of an inspections and submitted to the licensing officer.
Updated Forms and Compliance Framework
The amendments also allow for the electronic issuance of receipts, laboratory test intimations, and inspection reports. Fees payable under the rules may also be paid digitally.
Additionally, the government has replaced several existing appendices and reporting formats under Form III with updated digital templates. These include revised registers for the sale, distribution, manufacture, import, and stock management of technical-grade and formulated insecticides, along with standardized monthly reporting formats.
According to the Ministry, these reforms are expected to improve transparency, streamline compliance procedures, enhance monitoring of insecticide movement across the supply chain, and support the broader digitization of agricultural regulatory systems.