"Government Consults Farmer Bodies on Proposed New Seed Act"
Seed Replacement Rate (SRR)
proportion of sown area using certified seeds from formal sources, not farm-saved seed.
Seed Village Concept
programme training farmers in quality seed production to supply certified seeds locally at affordable cost.
India's seed sector has long been governed by the Seeds Act, 1966, a law enacted when the Green Revolution was just beginning. The Act set minimum quality standards for seeds sold commercially and created a certification system. However, it covers only notified varieties, leaving a large share of the market unregulated. The Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, issued under the Essential Commodities Act, added some regulatory provisions, but enforcement remained weak. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 is the other major pillar of India's seed law. It protects breeders' rights over new plant varieties while simultaneously recognising farmers' rights to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seed. Crucially, plant varieties are not patentable under the Indian Patents Act; they are protected exclusively through the PPV&FR framework.
A key structural problem in the seed sector is the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR): the proportion of the total sown area using certified or quality-declared seeds from formal sources, rather than farm-saved seed. India's SRR is high for hybrid crops like cotton and vegetables, where farm-saved seed loses hybrid vigour. For low-value, high-volume crops like pulses and oilseeds, the SRR remains low. The formal seed system does not produce enough certified seed of these varieties at affordable prices. This demand-supply gap creates space for spurious and substandard seeds to enter the market. The Seed Village Concept, promoted by the government, addresses this by training farmers in quality seed production so that villages can supply certified seed to neighbouring areas at appropriate times and affordable cost. This supply-side intervention is important because a new regulatory law alone cannot close the SRR gap if the formal supply of quality seeds remains inadequate.
The National Seeds Policy, 2002 provides the overarching framework for seed development, import, export, and quality control. It explicitly encourages private sector participation in seed production and distribution. Despite this, the existing legal framework has three persistent gaps: voluntary certification for most crops, inadequate penalty provisions that fail to deter fraud, and the absence of a traceability system that makes it impossible to fix responsibility when seeds fail.
The proposed new Seed Act addresses these gaps through several distinct mechanisms. First, it mandates 100% registration of all seeds and planting material in a national register. Currently, around 70% of seeds fall outside the ambit of the existing Seeds Act. Unregistered seeds would be illegal under the new law. Second, every seed packet would carry a QR code enabling farmers to trace the seed's origin, manufacturer, laboratory clearance, and movement through the supply chain. This end-to-end traceability system is designed to fix responsibility when seeds fail, which the current framework cannot do.
The proposed law classifies offences into three tiers. Minor violations attract a warning for the first offence and up to ₹50,000 for the second. Deliberate violations such as failure to affix a QR code or incorrect branding attract ₹1 lakh for the first offence and ₹2 lakh for the second. Serious offences, selling fake seeds, operating without registration, or deliberate fraud, attract a penalty of up to ₹30 lakh along with imprisonment. …
Which one of the following best describes the main objective of 'Seed Village Concept'?
In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the 'Seed Replacement Rates' of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/constraints in its wider/greater implementation?
1.There is no National Seeds Policy in place.
2.There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.
3.There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Which one of the following best describes the main objective of the 'Seed Village Concept'?
In the context of food and nutritional security of India, which of the following is the primary constraint in enhancing the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) for low-value, high-volume crops such as pulses and oilseeds?
Consider the following statements regarding the proposed new Seed Act being developed by the Government of India:
1.All seeds and planting material will be required to be registered in a national register, and unregistered seeds will be illegal.
2.Farmers producing seeds for personal use or for distribution within their village will be required to undertake digital registration.
3.Penalties and recoveries collected under the new Act will be deposited into a Seed Security Fund managed by state governments.
4.Farmers will lose their right to seek compensation under the Consumer Protection Act once the new Seed Act is in force.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to India's seed regulatory framework, consider the following pairs:
(Legislation / Order) — (Key feature)
1.Seeds Act, 1966 — Covers all seeds sold commercially, including unnotified varieties
2.Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 — Issued under the Essential Commodities Act
3.PPV&FR Act, 2001 — Recognises farmers' rights to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seed
4.National Seeds Policy, 2002 — Prohibits private sector participation in seed production
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements regarding the offence classification under the proposed new Seed Act:
1.Selling fake seeds is classified as a serious offence attracting a penalty of up to ₹30 lakh along with imprisonment.
2.Failure to affix a QR code on a seed packet is classified as a serious offence.
3.A first-time minor violation attracts a warning, while a second minor violation attracts a penalty of up to ₹50,000.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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