AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND REGULATORY APPLICATION IN INDIA
A COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL AND POLICY RESEARCH
AUTHOR – PRIYANKA. B, STUDENT AT SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, CHENNAI
BEST CITATION – PRIYANKA. B, AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND REGULATORY APPLICATION IN INDIA, THE GLOBAL SOUTH, AND NORTH, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 981-988, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
1. Introduction
Agriculture is the backbone of India’s socioeconomic structure. As the world’s second-most populous nation, India’s ability to feed its citizens, generate rural employment, and sustain its economy hinges critically on how agricultural policy is designed and implemented. The sector contributes approximately 17–18% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs nearly 45% of the total workforce. Given this centrality, the regulation and governance of agricultural activities carry profound legal, economic, and social significance.
Agriculture in India is governed by a multi-tiered regulatory architecture that includes constitutional provisions, central legislation, state-level statutes, executive schemes, and administrative orders. The interplay between these layers creates both opportunities for policy innovation and tensions arising from jurisdictional ambiguity. In recent decades, India has attempted to liberalise and modernise its agricultural regulatory environment — efforts that have not been without controversy.
This research examines the structure and application of agricultural policy and regulation in India, tracing the constitutional framework, key legislative instruments, landmark regulatory mechanisms such as the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system, recent reform attempts including the contentious 2020 Farm Laws, and the current policy trajectory under the New National Agricultural Policy 2025.