Punjab CM Voices Concerns Over Draft Seeds Bill to Shah
Punjab CM raises objections to the draft Seeds Bill with Union Home Minister.
Photo by servet photograph
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 18 January 2026, expressing concerns regarding the draft Seeds Bill, 2025. Mann voiced objections to the zone-based system in the Bill, stating it doesn't guarantee Punjab's representation in the Central Seed Committee.
He also highlighted the absence of a robust compensation framework for farmers who suffer losses due to registered seed failure. Mann reiterated that Punjab has no surplus water to share, making the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal unviable.
Key Facts
Seeds Bill 2025: Concerns raised by Punjab CM
Zone-based system: Limits Punjab's representation
No compensation: For farmers suffering seed failure
SYL canal: Punjab claims no surplus water
UPSC Exam Angles
GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
GS Paper III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; Issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Potential question types: Analyzing the impact of the Seeds Bill on farmers' rights and agricultural productivity.
Visual Insights
Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal: Key States Involved
Map showing the geographical location of Punjab and Haryana, the states involved in the SYL canal dispute. Highlights the proposed canal route.
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More Information
Background
The Seeds Act, 1966, was a landmark legislation in India, enacted in the wake of the Green Revolution. It aimed to regulate the quality of seeds sold to farmers, ensuring that they met certain minimum standards of germination and purity. This Act established a Central Seed Committee to advise the government on seed-related matters.
Over time, the Act has been amended to address evolving challenges, such as the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops and the need for stronger intellectual property protection for plant breeders. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001, was another significant development, granting rights to both breeders and farmers, recognizing the role of farmers in conserving and improving plant genetic resources. The need for a new Seeds Bill arises from the limitations of the existing legislation in addressing contemporary issues such as seed quality control, compensation mechanisms for farmers, and the promotion of seed industry growth.
Latest Developments
In recent years, there has been increasing focus on seed replacement rates and the availability of high-quality seeds to farmers. The government has launched various initiatives, such as the Seed Village Programme, to promote the production and distribution of quality seeds at the local level. There have also been debates surrounding the regulation of GM seeds and the potential impact on smallholder farmers.
The draft Seeds Bill, 2025, is expected to address some of these concerns, but it has also faced criticism from farmer organizations and civil society groups who argue that it may not adequately protect the interests of farmers. The future of seed policy in India will likely involve balancing the need to promote innovation and investment in the seed industry with the need to ensure that farmers have access to affordable, high-quality seeds and are adequately compensated for any losses they may incur due to seed failure.
Practice Questions (MCQs)
1. Consider the following statements regarding the draft Seeds Bill, 2025: 1. It proposes a zone-based system for seed regulation. 2. It guarantees representation for all states in the Central Seed Committee. 3. It includes a mandatory compensation framework for farmers suffering losses due to registered seed failure. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Answer: A
Statement 1 is correct as the bill proposes a zone-based system. Statement 2 is incorrect as the Punjab CM voiced concerns that it doesn't guarantee Punjab's representation. Statement 3 is incorrect as the CM highlighted the absence of a robust compensation framework.
2. The Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project aims to:
- A.Divert surplus water from the Yamuna to the Sutlej river.
- B.Provide irrigation to drought-prone areas of Rajasthan.
- C.Share water between Punjab and Haryana.
- D.Generate hydroelectric power in the Himalayan region.
Show Answer
Answer: C
The SYL canal is intended to share water between Punjab and Haryana, but its construction is contentious due to Punjab's claim of having no surplus water.
3. Which of the following Acts primarily deals with the protection of plant varieties and the rights of farmers in India?
- A.The Seeds Act, 1966
- B.The Environment Protection Act, 1986
- C.The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001
- D.The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Show Answer
Answer: C
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001 (PPV&FR Act) specifically addresses the protection of plant varieties and the rights of farmers.
4. Assertion (A): Punjab has consistently opposed the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Reason (R): Punjab claims it does not have surplus water to share with Haryana. In the context of the above statements, which of the following is correct?
- A.Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
- B.Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
- C.A is true, but R is false.
- D.A is false, but R is true.
Show Answer
Answer: A
Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason correctly explains why Punjab opposes the SYL canal construction.