Indian Seed Sector: Seeds Bill, PPVFRA and Plant Treaty
Why in the news
In December 2025 attention turned to three reforms for India’s seed sector, which exceeds ₹35,000 crore. They aim at quality, investment and innovation while balancing farmer rights and food security.
1. Draft Seeds Bill, 2025
- Replaces the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983; seeks better quality control, supply and traceability.
- Central accreditation replaces state seed licences; foreign bodies may run VCU trials, but final certification stays with ICAR.
- Plus: penalties and inspection powers may improve compliance.
- Criticism: little on farmer rights, compensation and prices; no compensation for bad seed; states’ powers curtailed.
2. PPVFRA amendments
- Protect plant-variety IPR and farmers’ rights.
- Provisional registration while final certification is pending; innocent infringement clause kept.
- Industry calls them cosmetic; gene editing stays under the environment ministry; civil society questions committee transparency.
3. Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA)
- Global pact on conservation, sustainable use and fair sharing of plant genetic resources; India signed in 2004.
- Only 9 crops (26,563 accessions) are in the Multilateral System (MLS).
- Civil society says over 400,000 samples were shared, contradicting official claims; use of MLS accessions in Indian breeding is unclear.
- A wider MLS could bring developed varieties, e.g. South American corn, lifting incomes and food security.
Exam angle
- Act to be replaced: Seeds Act, 1966; final certification: ICAR.