The Union Agriculture Ministry has released a draft Pesticides Management Bill, proposing to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968. The Bill aims to regulate all aspects of pesticide handling, from manufacture to disposal, to ensure the availability of safe and effective products. It also seeks to minimize risks to humans, animals, and the environment, while promoting biological and traditional knowledge-based pesticides. The draft includes provisions for a Central Pesticides Board to advise the government on related matters.