RAS question
A key feature of the Draft Seeds Bill 2025 includes:
Correct answer: (B) Mandatory QR codes on seed packets for traceability.
A key feature of the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025 is mandatory QR codes on seed containers, generated through the Centralized Seed Traceability Portal of the Central Government, to support traceability.
Explanation
The Draft Seeds Bill, 2025 links seed regulation to traceability. It requires the container of seed to bear a Quick Response Code or other mark generated through the Centralized Seed Traceability Portal of the Central Government. That is why mandatory QR codes on seed packets is the correct feature. The draft does not take away the farmer’s right to grow, sow, re-sow, save, use, exchange, share or sell farm seed of a registered kind or variety, except when such seed or planting material is sold under a brand name. It also keeps enforcement in the law: minor offences can attract penalties up to Rs 2 lakh, while major offences can escalate to Rs 30 lakh, with spurious seed supply listed as a major offence.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The draft expressly preserves a farmer’s right to grow, sow, re-sow, save, use, exchange, share or sell farm seed, except for branded sale.
- (C) The draft is a regulatory measure for seed quality and traceability, not a complete deregulation of seed markets.
- (D) The draft retains graded penalties, and supply of spurious seeds is treated as a major offence rather than being exempted from punishment.
Concept
This tests agricultural-market regulation within Indian Economy, especially how seed quality, farmer rights and traceability are balanced. It recurs in RAS because agriculture governance often appears through current Bills, portals and penalty frameworks.