This document discusses legal control and legislation related to pests. It summarizes different types of legislation enacted in India to prevent the introduction and spread of agricultural pests, such as quarantine laws to restrict import/export of plants and insects. It also describes laws regulating insecticides/pesticides to ensure safety and prevent misuse. The key bodies that regulate these laws at central and state levels are discussed.

1. Legal Control.
Snehal Arun Mane
Dept. of Entomology

2. In early days there were no restrictions on the transport of
plants and animals from one country to another which resulted
in introduction of pests form one country to another.
Some exotic pests introduced into our country.
• Potato tuber moth - Pthorimea operculella,
• Cotton cushiony scale - Icerya purchasi
•Wooly aphid on apple - Eriosoma lanigerum
•Serpentine leaf miner - Liriomyza trifolii
•Spiralling whitefly - Alerodicus dispersus ,

3. Eradication or suppression of pest
establishment in a limited area
through compulsory legislation or
enactment.
The restriction are imposed on the
movement of plant and plant
material by law.

4. The legislative measures can be grouped into five
classes.
1. Legislation to prevent the introduction of new pests from
foreign countries (International quarantine)
2. Legislation to prevent the spread of pest from one part of
the country to another (Domestic quarantine)
3. Legislation to prevent damage by already established
pests.
4. Legislation to prevent the adulteration and misbranding
5. Legislation to regulate the activities of men engaged in
pest control operations .

5. 1.Legislation to prevent the introduction of new pests
from foreign countries (International quarantine)
To prevent the entry of foreign pests all countries have restrictions.
They enforce quarantine laws.
 The imported plant material has to be thoroughly examined at the ports
of entry.
The ports of entry are
Sea ports – Mumbai Kolkata Chennai
Air ports – Amritsar Mumbai Kolkata
Land – Amritsar rail
These quarantine stations function under DIP Act 1914.

6. Phytosanitary certificates
 Issued by state entomologist or pathologist
to the effect that plant or seed material is
free from any pest or diseases .
Eg - To prevent west indies
sugarcane weevil.

7. 2.Legislation to prevent the spread of pest
(Domestic quarantine)
DIP - 1914, have empowered the states to enact such
laws as are necessary to prevent the spread of
dangerous insects within their jurisdiction.
The Madras Government enacted the Madras
Agricultural Pests and Diseases act in 1919 and was
the first state to enact laws in our country.
Eg – Preventing movement of banana from Palani
hills to prevent bunchy top of banana.

8. 3.Legislation to prevent damage by already
established pests.
To remove and destroy coconut leaf lets infested
with black headed caterpillar around Mangalore in
1923 and in 1927 in Guntur districts.
 Later it was withdrawn as the pest was
successfully controlled by biological control agents.

9. 4.Legislation to prevent the adulteration
and misbranding of the insecticides.
To avoid malpractices and supply of substandard
chemicals, the pesticide products are to be
standardized through the Indian Standards
Institute.
Such products carry ISI mark and are expected to
confirm the level of a.i (Active ingredient)

10. 5. Legislation to regulate the activities of men
engaged in pest control operations:
They have to take certain precautionary measures
to avoid pesticide poisoning and undergo regular
medical checkup.
As pesticides are highly poisons the workers
engaged in dusting and spraying should take
necessary precaution .

11. 1905 – Federal Insecticide Act
( Quarantine act against San jose scale.)
1912 – US Plant Quarantine Act .
1914 – Destructive Insect And Pest Act
1968 – Insecticide Act

12. Insecticide Act 1968
The Government of India passed an Insecticide
Act in 1968.
Implemented in 1st August, 1971.
To regulate the import, manufacture, sale,
transport, distribution and use of insecticides to
prevent risk to human beings or animals.

13. There is compulsory registration of the pesticides at
the Central level
 license for their manufacture
Cancellation of licenses.
Inspection
Regulatory provision -

14. formulation and sale are dealt with at the State
Enforcement of the Insecticides Act, is the joint
responsibility of central and state government.
Following bodies have been constituted at the
Central level.

15. Central Insecticide Board
The Government has constituted Central
Insecticides Board under the Chairmanship of
Director General of Health Services with 29
members from different specialty and
government organizations.

16. Functions:
 To advise the Central and state Governments on technical
matters arising out of administration .
 To specify the uses of the classification of insecticides on the
basis of their toxicity
 To advise tolerance limits for insecticides, residues and an
establishment of minimum intervals between the application of
insecticides and harvest in respect of various commodities
 To specify the shelf-life of insecticides

17. Registration committee
Registration Committee consisting of a
Chairman and other five persons who shall be
members of the Board.
The main objective the committee is to register
insecticide.

18. Function
To specify the precautions to be taken against
poisoning through the use or handling of
insecticides
For import and manufacture of insecticides,
registration certificate is essential and a
separate certificate for each insecticide

19. Types of registration
A) Provisional registration: Provisional registration for 2
years for data Generation but not for commercialization
B) Regular or full registration: is done when committee
satisfy on the data produce.
C) Repeat registration: Registration for already registered
product for a subsequent applicant. Data requirement is
less.

20. Types of registration
A) Provisional registration: Provisional registration for 2 years
for data Generation but not for commercialization
B) Regular or full registration: is done when committee
satisfy on the data produce.
C) Repeat registration: Registration for already registered
product for a subsequent applicant. Data requirement is
less.

21. Central Insecticide Laboratory
 To analyze samples of insecticides and submission of
certificates of analysis to the concerned authority;
 To analyze samples of materials for insecticide residues.
 To carry out such investigations as for the purpose of
ensuring the conditions of registration of insecticides
 To determine the efficacy and toxicity of insecticides