Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in India is the administrative unit of three departments namely:-

The Ministry is headed by Minister of Chemicals and fertilisers. Ananth Kumar is the current minister for the department.

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was under the Ministry of Industry until December 1989, when it was brought under the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals. On June 5, 1991, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was transferred to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

The Department is entrusted with the responsibility of planning, development and regulations of the chemicals, petrochemicals and pharmaceutical industry sector, inducting:

The Department has various divisions under it. The important being:

Earlier called the Department of Chemicals & Fertilisers. The genesis of the Department of Chemicals and Fertilisers can traced to the erstwhile Ministry of Production in the fifties.

In 1963 the Department was placed in the newly set up Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals. In 1975, with the appointment of a separate Cabinet Minister for Chemicals & Fertilisers, the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers comprising the Department of Petroleum and the Department of Chemicals & Fertilisers came into being. A separate Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers came into existence in September, 1982 headed by a Cabinet Minister who is assisted by Minister of State. It was part of the Ministry of Agriculture till 1984. In June, 1991, it become part of newly created Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers. Department of Fertilizers came into existence as a separate Department in September, 1985 consequent upon the bifurcation of the then Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. Thereafter, this Department was brought under the ambit of Ministry of Agriculture for a short duration. However, the earlier position was restored in 1992.

The main activities of the Department of Fertilisers (DOF) broadly cover planning, promotion and development of the fertiliser industry, planning and monitoring of production, import and distribution of fertilisers and management of financial assistance for indigenous and imported fertilisers.

The department has four divisions namely:-

The cabinet Secretariat on 2 July 2008, has notified creation of a new Department under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers with the objective to give greater focus and thrust on the development of Pharmaceutical Sector in the country and to regulate various complex issues related to pricing and availability of medicines at affordable prices, research & development, protection of intellectual property rights and international commitments related to pharmaceutical sector which require integration of work with other ministries. There is also need for better coordination in the areas of pharmaceutical R&D and education and for international cooperation in these areas.

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