Seed is a critical and basic input for enhancing agricultural production and productivity in different agro-climatic regions. Indian seed programme largely adheres to the limited generation system for seed multiplication. The system recognises three generations, namely, breeder, foundation and certified seeds and provides adequate safeguards for quality assurance in the seed multiplication chain to maintain the purity of variety as it flows from the breeders to the farmers.

The level of certified/quality seed distributed to the farmers since 200001 is given below:

Year certified/quality seed distribution (in lakh quintals)
Year Certified	Quality Seed Distribution
2000-01	86.27
2001-02	91.80
2002-03	98.03
2003-04	108.39
2004-05	113.01
2005-06	118.52	(Anticipated)
2006-07	148.63	(Targeted)

Indian seed programme includes the participation of Central and State governments, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities (SAU) system, public sector, co-operative sector and private sector institutions. Seed sector in India consists of two national level corporations i.e. National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI), 13 State Seed Corporations (SSCs) and about 100 major seed companies. For quality control and certification, there are 22 State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs) and 101 State Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs). The private sector has started to play a significant role in the production and distribution of seeds. However, the organised seed sector particularly for food crops cereals continues to be dominated by the public sector.

• Legislative framework and policy: The Seeds Act, 1966 provides for the legislative framework for regulation of quality of seeds sold in the country. The Central Seed Committee (CSC) and the Central Seed Certification Board (CSCB) are apex agencies set up under the Act to deal with all matters relating to administration of the Act and quality control of seeds. The proposed Seeds Bill, 2004 in replacement of the Seeds Act, 1966 was introduced in the Parliament in December 2004 and is currently under consideration of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture.
  
  In order to encourage export of seeds in the interest of farmers, the procedure for export of seeds has been simplified. Seeds of various crops have been placed under Open General License (OGL) except the seeds of wild varieties, germplasms, breeder seeds, and onion seeds which are on restricted list under the new Export and Import Policy 2002-07.
  
  

  Schemes of the Seed Division:

1. This Department have launched a Central Sector Scheme namely, "Development and strengthening of Infrastructure facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality seeds" with an outlay of Rs.159 crore for the Tenth Plan. The main components of the scheme are Quality Control Arrangements on Seeds, Transport subsidy on movement of seeds to North-East and other hilly areas, Establishment and Maintenance of Seed Bank, Seed Village Scheme, Assistance for creation of infrastructure facilities, Assistance for boosting seed production in private sector, Human Resources Development, Assistance for Seed Export, Propagation of application of biotechnology in agriculture, Promotion of use of hybrid seeds of rice and evaluation/review.
   
   
2. Implementation of Plant Varieties Protection and Farmers Right legislation In order to fulfill the obligations under TRIPS Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which India has ratified, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation have enacted legislation for Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights. In order to provide necessary back-up support for enactment of the above Legislation, a Central Scheme is also under implementation. The required rules and regulations under the Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act have been notified in 2003. The Protection and Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority envisaged under the Act has been set up w.e.f. 14 November 2005.