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A new draft bill on regulating pesticides, released by the centre, proposes an increase in penalties on violators and gives more power to state governments to take action against them. The Pesticides Management Bill, 2017, which seeks to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968, also puts in place detailed clauses for registration of new molecules, includes a broader category of offences and the provision for paying compensation to farmers. The draft, released on 19 February, is open for public comments for 15 days. Among the bill’s stated objectives are ensuring availability of quality pesticides, minimizing the contamination of agricultural commodities by pesticide residue, and creating awareness among users regarding safe and judicious use of pesticides. The draft comes in the wake of several pesticide-related deaths in recent months.