The Indian government has restricted the use of glyphosate-based herbicides due to the risks to human and animal health. On Tuesday the Agricultural Ministry stated in a notification that “the use of glyphosate is prohibited and no person, except Pest Control Operators (PCOs), shall use glyphosate.”

The government statement added that all agrichemical companies have been asked to return the certificate of registration granted for glyphosate and its derivatives to the registration committee so that the warning in capital letters can be incorporated on labels and leaflets. Permission will only be given for glyphosate formulations through PCOs. The companies have been given three months to return the certificate, otherwise strict action will be taken as per the provisions of the Insecticides Act, 1968.

The final notification restricting the use of glyphosate across India comes two years after the Agricultural Ministry issued a draft notification on July 2, 2020. The draft was released following a decision by the Kerala government to ban the distribution, sale and use of the world’s most used weed killer.