Government prepares draft Seeds Bill 2025 to replace 1966 act and 1983 order

Draft Seeds Bill 2025 Introduced: Mandatory Registration, New Seed Quality Standards, Testing Labs, and Penalties Up to ₹30 Lakh

The Department/Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025.
- The Bill is intended to replace the Seeds Act, 1966.
- It is also intended to replace the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983.
The Bill is aligned with current agricultural and regulatory requirements.
The Bill aims to:
- safeguard farmers’ rights.
- ensure transparency and accountability in seed supply chains.
- regulate seed quality.
- ensure farmers’ access to high-quality seeds at affordable rates.
- curb the sale of spurious seeds, where spurious seeds refer to fake, misbranded or low-quality seeds.
- protect farmers from losses caused by poor-quality seeds.
- promote ease of doing business in the seed sector.

3. Key Regulatory Provisions

A. Mandatory Registration of Seed Varieties

The Bill proposes mandatory registration of all seed varieties.
- Registration means official approval of a seed variety after evaluation of its claims.
Section 13 states that no seed shall be sold for sowing or planting unless it is registered.
Seed includes any propagating material used for sowing.
The only exceptions are farmers’ varieties and varieties produced exclusively for export.
- Farmers’ variety refers to seed varieties traditionally cultivated and developed by farmers.
Existing varieties that were earlier notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 shall be deemed registered under the new law.
The existing law of 1966 had no compulsory registration provision.

B. Quality Standards

Seed varieties must conform to Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards (IMSCS).
- IMSCS are national standards specifying minimum genetic purity, germination, physical quality etc.

4. Institutional Mechanisms

A. Central Seed Committee

The Bill provides for the establishment of a Central Seed Committee.
The Central Seed Committee will be constituted by the Central Government.
Its headquarters will be located in New Delhi.
The Committee will advise the government on seed programming and planning.
It will also advise on seed development, seed production, seed storage, seed processing, and on seed export and import.

B. State Seed Committees

State Seed Committees will be established by State Governments.
Each State Seed Committee will consist of a Chairman.
Each Committee will also include not more than 15 members appointed or nominated by the State Government.

C. Registration Sub-Committees

D. National Register of Seed Varieties

A National Register on Seed Varieties will be maintained.
The Register will contain all kinds or varieties of seeds approved under the law.
The Register will be under the control and management of the Registrar.

E. Seed Testing Infrastructure

The Bill provides for Central Seed Testing Laboratories.
It also provides for State Seed Testing Laboratories.
These laboratories will be equipped with Seed Analysts.
They will also be staffed with Seed Inspectors.
- Seed Analyst refers to an expert who tests seed quality parameters.
- Seed Inspector refers to an official who enforces seed laws and conducts inspections.

Offences and Penalties

Categorisation of Offences: Offences are categorised as trivial, minor, and major.
- Major Offences:
  - Supplying spurious seeds
  - Supplying non-registered kinds or varieties
  - Conducting seed business without registration as a dealer, distributor, producer, seed processor or plant nursery is classified as a major offence.
Penalties
- Major offences may invite a maximum penalty of ₹30 lakh.
- Major offences may also invite imprisonment of up to three years.
- The Bill aims to deter the sale of poor-quality seeds through strong penalties.

Legislative Background

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