Economy/Environment · 15 Jul 2026

paraquat dichloride ban India

With reference to the recent draft central ban on the herbicide paraquat dichloride in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

AParaquat dichloride has a well-established medical antidote, but was banned due to its environmental persistence in soil

BThe draft notification was issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, following prior state-level bans imposed by Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

CIndia's ban makes it among the first five countries in the world to restrict paraquat, ahead of most European nations

DThe Insecticides Act, 1968 mandates automatic periodic re-review of all registered pesticides every ten years, which triggered this ban

This question is based on: The Ban Came Right on Schedule - For a Regulatory System Built to Wait

Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 15 Jul 2026

About this question

Why in news

The Agriculture Ministry issued a draft notification banning paraquat dichloride in July 2026, following sustained advocacy and after multiple states had already acted independently, illustrating India's reactive rather than pre-emptive pesticide regulation model.

Why for UPSC

UPSC tests candidates' ability to avoid assuming a "logical" regulatory safeguard (periodic review) exists just because it would make administrative sense - testing what the law actually says versus what it should say.

Prelims summary

Paraquat dichloride has no medical antidote; India's central ban came only after 70+ countries and three Indian states (Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh) had already acted, exposing the Insecticides Act's lack of a post-market reassessment trigger.

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