The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is a federal institution of the Government of India, formed on December 25, 1975, with a separate Ministry coming into existence in September 1982. Its genesis can be traced to the erstwhile Ministry of Production in the 1950s, and it was created to ensure the planning, development, regulation, and availability of essential industrial and agricultural inputs. The Ministry operates through three administrative departments: the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, the Department of Fertilizers, and the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
The Department of Fertilizers is crucial for agriculture, working to ensure the adequate and timely availability of fertilizers at affordable prices. It administers the Fertilizer (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) Control Order, 1985, which is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to prohibit the manufacture or sale of sub-standard fertilizers. A recent change is the launch of the e-Bill System for end-to-end digital processing of the approximately ₹2 lakh crores fertilizer subsidy. The Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 was also recently amended to include new fertilizers like Dispersible Granular Sulfur and NPK, Si, Ca, B Fertilizers.
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is responsible for the planning and regulation of the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, including matters related to the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster and industries like synthetic fibers and plastics. The Department of Pharmaceuticals, created on July 1, 2008, focuses on the growth of the pharmaceutical sector, regulating issues like pricing and availability of medicines, and oversees schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. The Ministry also connects to autonomous bodies like the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).