Law

For laying down Indian Standards on pesticides & pest control equipments, the Indian Standards Institution initiated the work on this subject in 1953 by setting up the Pest Control Sectional Committee under the auspices of the Chemical Division Council of the Institution. In 1956 with the setting up of the Agriculture & Food Products Divisional Council, AFDC, this subject was transferred to AFDC & this Committee is now a joint responsibility Committee to AFDC & CDC. The present Chairman of the Committee is the Plant Protection Adviser to the Government of India & on it re represented the representatives of the Central Government, State Governments & the Industry. This Committee has set up 6 – Sub-Committees to deal with the work falling under its purview.

The Insecticides Act, 1968

Act 46 of 1968

The Insecticides Bill, 1968 having been passed by both the houses of parliament received the assent of the President on 2nd September, 1968.

It came on the Statute Book as ‘The Insecticides Act, 1968 (46 of 1968).

List of Amending Acts:

1. The Insecticides (Amendment) Act, 1972 (46 of 1972).

2. The Insecticides (Amendment) Act, 1977 (24 of 1977).

3. The Insecticides (Amendment) Act, 2000 (23 of 2000).

The Insecticides Rules, 1971

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 36 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 (46 of 1968), Central Government, after consultation with the Central Insecticides Board hereby makes the following rules, Commercial Pest Control Operation' means any application or dispersion of Insecticide (s) including fumigants in household or public or private premises or land & includes pest control operations in the field including serial applications for commercial purposes but excludes private use;

Pest Control Operators' means any person who undertakes pest control operations & includes the person or the firm or the company or the organization under whose control such a person (s) is operating.

Indian Standards Institution (ISI) & its Set up (Now B.I.S.):

It was established in 1947is the national standards body of India similar to the British Standards Institution (BSI) in U.K., Association Franchise de Normalization (AFNOR) in France, Standards Association of Australia (SAA) in Australia, etc. ISI (B.I.S.) works as a joint Enterprise of the Government of India, the State Governments & the Trade & industry of the country.

The Minister of Industry & Supply of the Union Government is the ex-officio President of the Institution. It has divided its activities into 8 division councils, namely, agricultural & food products, buildings, chemicals, consumer products, electro-technical, mechanical engineering, structural & metals, & textiles.

The Institution has statistical section; a certification marks department, a public relations section, an implementation section, & a publication section. Each division council deals with the industry falling within are purview & are an authoritative body for standardization, both in the national as well as international spheres. The Agricultural & Food Products Division Council was set up by the Institution in 1956. This Council the subjects which are being dealt with at present are : sugars, glucose, edible starches, confectionary & cereal products, apiary, dairy industry, tobacco products, animal feeds, tea, livestock housing, meat & meat5 products, food colours, farm implements & machinery, spices & condiments, propagation materials, fruits & vegetables, transport of live animals, soft drinks, cereals & pulses, fish & fisheries products, storage & marketing structures for agriculture commodities, coffee, cocoa products & pest control products including pest control equipments.

For laying down Indian Standards on pesticides & pest control equipments, The Indian Standards Institution initiated the work on this subject in 1953 by setting up the Pest Control Sectional Committee under the auspices of the Chemical Division Council of the Institution. In 1956 with the setting up of the Agriculture & Food Products Division Council, AFDC, this Subject was transferred to AFDC & this Committee is now a responsibility Committee to AFDC & CDC. The committee in plant protection adviser to the Government of India & on it are represented the representatives of the Central Government & State Governments & the Industry. It has set up 6 Sub-committees with the work falling under its Purview.

The Committee has published 66 Indian Standards on pesticides & pest control equipment & the standards published so far are as follows:

Chlorinated: -

The B.I.S. has published Indian Standard specification covering BHC, DDT, DELDRIN, ALDRIN, ENDRIN & CHLORDANE, both for technical products & their formulations. The Indian Standards published failing under this group are as follows:

1. IS: 560 – 1961 DDT Technical (revised)

2. IS: 564 – 1961 DDT Dusting Powders(revised)

3. IS: 565 – 1961 DDT Water Dispersible Powder Consent rates (revised)

4. IS: 633 – 1956 DDT Emulsifiable Concentrates

5. IS: 1052 – 1962 Deldrin, Technical (revised)

6. IS: 1053 – 1962 Deldrin Water Dispersible Powder Concentrates (revised)

7. IS: 1054 – 1962 Deldrin Emulsifiable Concentrates (revised)

8. IS: 1310 – 1958 Endrin Emulsifiable Concentrates

9. IS: 2682 – 1964 Chlordane Emulsifiable Concentrates Chlordane, Technical Chlordane Dusting Powder.

Phosphatic: -

The B.I.S. has published Indian Standard Specifications for the insecticides falling under this group covering Diazinon, Malathion, Parathion, Methyl Parathion, both for technical products & their formulations. The Indian Standards published falling under this group are as follows:

1. IS: 1932 – 1962 Malathion. Technical

2. IS: 2128 – 1962 Parathion. Technical

3. IS: 2129 – 1962 Parathion. Emulsifiable Concentrates

4. IS: 2567 – 1963 Malathion. Emulsifiable Concentrates

5. IS: 2568 – 1963 Malathion Dustable Powders

6. IS: 2569 – 1963 Malathion Water Dispersible Powder Concentrates

7. IS: 2570 – 1963 Methyl Parathion, Technical Methyl Parathion Emulsifiable Concentrates

Fumigants: -

The B.I.S. has published on this group of insecticides by the Indian Standards covering the requirements & the methods of test for the following 3 fumigants which are most commonly used in our country:

1. IS: 634 – 1957 Ethylene Dichloride Carbon Tetrachloride Mixture (3:1 v/v)

2. IS: 1311 – 1958 Ethylene Dibromide

3. IS: 1312 – 1958 Methyl Bromide

The subject of Aluminum Phosphide (Phostoxin) is on the programme of work of the committee.

Rodenticides: -

The B.I.S. has published an Indian standard Specification for Zinc Phosphide, Technical (IS: 1251 – 1958) which is most commonly used in the country as a rodenticide.

Other Pesticides: -

Besides the pesticides falling in the above groups the B.I.S. has published Indian Standard Covering the following pesticides:

1. IS: 1051 – 1957 Pyrethrum Extracts

2. IS: 1824 – 1961 Household Insecticidal spray

3. IS: 2127 – 1962 Stabilized Methoxy Ethyl Mercury Chloride Concentrate

4. IS: 2354 – 1963 Ethyl Mercury chloride Technical

5. IS: 2355 – 1963 Stabilized Ethoxy Ethyl Mercury Chloride Concentrate

6. IS: 2358 – 1963 Formulations Based on Stabilized Methoxy Ethyl Mercury Chloride Concentrate

7. IS: 2359 – 1963 Formulations Based on Stabilized Ethoxy Ethyl Mercury Chloride Concentrate

8. IS: 2555 – 1963 Official Test Insecticide (OTI)

Pest Control Equipment: -

The B.I.S. has published the following Indian Standards on the pest control equipment. In these standards the materials for construction, performance, requirements & the methods for testing the performance of these equipment are prescribed:

1. IS: 1970 – 1961 Hand Compression Sprayer for Public Health

2. IS: 2130 – 1962 Hand Compression Sprayer for Agricultural use

3. IS: 2477 – 1963 Hand Rotary Duster, Shoulder Mounted type Pressure Retaining Knapsack Sprayer: Charge Pumpfor Pressure Retaining Knapsack Sprayer

AFCDC 6 is actively associated with the work of the Technical Committee 81 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which is responsible for assigning common names for pesticide chemicals. In the Indian Standards Published on pesticides till 1961, besides laying down the various packing materials, a statement was included that the packing may be done “AS AGREED TO BETWEEN TNE PURCHASER & THE VENDOR”