The Government of India has prohibited the registration of the herbicide paraquat dichloride under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and cancelled all registration certificates already issued, ending a months-long review. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued the order, S.O. 5234(E), dated 22 September 2026; it takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

The ministry said it was satisfied that paraquat poses serious risks to humans and animals, after weighing public objections, an expert committee's recommendations and the Registration Committee's advice. The committee had noted that paraquat is banned or severely restricted in more than 70 countries, and cited continued poisoning incidents with high fatality rates and the lack of a specific antidote.

The Registration Committee must recall all certificates, holders who fail to return them may face action, and states are asked to enforce the ban. Because a pesticide cannot lawfully be made, imported or sold in India without registration, paraquat products are expected to leave the market; how states treat stock already in the distribution chain is not yet clear.

The review followed a draft notification of 10 July. Paraquat is registered in India only as a non-selective contact herbicide, but has also been used off-label as a desiccant on crops such as mung bean and soybean before harvest. AgroPages describes the decision as one of the most significant herbicide rulings in India in recent years, pushing growers towards alternative weed control.

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Source: AgroPages