Procedure to be followed by Seed Inspectors
Section 15 of the Seeds Act, 1966 deals with procedure to be followed by Seed Inspectors. Whenever a Seed Inspector intends to take sample of any seed of any notified kind or variety or analysis, he shall-- (a) give notice in writing, then and there, of such intention to the person from whom he intends to take sample; The Act came into force on 02 Sep 1968.
(1) Whenever a Seed Inspector intends to take sample of any seed of any notified kind or variety or analysis, he shall--
(a) give notice in writing, then and there, of such intention to the person from whom he intends to take sample;
(b) except in special cases provided by rules made under this Act, take three representative samples in the prescribed manner and mark and seal or fasten up each sample in such manner as its nature permits.
(2) When samples of any seed of any notified kind or variety are taken under sub-section (1), the Seed Inspector shall--
(a) deliver one sample to the person from whom it has been taken;
(b) send in the prescribed manner another sample for analysis to the Seed Analyst for the area within which such sample has been taken; and
(c) retain the remaining sample in the prescribed manner for production in case any legal proceedings are taken or for analysis by the Central Seed Laboratory under sub-section (2) of section 16, as the case may be.
(3) If the person from whom the samples have been taken refuses to accept one of the samples, the Seed Inspector shall send intimation to the Seed Analyst of such refusal and thereupon the Seed Analyst receiving the sample for analysis shall divide it into two parts and shall seal or fasten up one of those parts and shall cause it, either upon receipt of the sample or when he delivers his report, to be delivered to the Seed Inspector who shall retain it for production in case legal proceedings are taken.
(4) Where a Seed Inspector takes any action under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 14,--
(a) he shall use all despatch in ascertaining whether or not the seed contravenes any of the provisions of section 7 and if it is ascertained that the seed does not so contravene, forthwith revoke the order passed under the said clause or, as the case may be, take such action as may be necessary for the return of the stock of the seed seized;
(b) if he seizes the stock of the seed, he shall, as soon as may be, inform a magistrate and take his orders as to the custody thereof;
(c) without prejudice to the institution of any prosecution, if the alleged offence is such that the defect may be removed by the possessor of the seed, he shall, on being satisfied that the defect has been so removed, forthwith revoke the order passed under the said clause.
(5) Where a Seed Inspector seizes any record, register, document or any other material object under clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 14, he shall, as soon as may be, inform a magistrate and take his orders as to the custody thereof.
Section 15, The Seeds Act, 1966 (Act 54 of 1966).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Referred to by 1
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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National Seeds Corporation Ltd. v. G. Yugandhar Reddy
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
SC surveyed Seed Inspector powers under Seeds Act s.14 and sampling procedure under s.15, rejecting the argument that complainants must first invoke Seed Inspectors under ss.19/21 and cannot use CPA forums. DATE VERIFIED Judgment 2012-01-16 (order-16.pdf).
On this section: s.15 Procedure to be followed by Seed Inspectors — statutory sampling path explained; does not bar CPA where seller-side sampling failed.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument names this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 15
What have the courts held on Section 15 of the Seeds Act?
National Seeds Corporation Ltd. v. G. Yugandhar Reddy (16 Jan 2012) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.15 Procedure to be followed by Seed Inspectors — statutory sampling path explained; does not bar CPA where seller-side sampling failed.
How do I find court cases under Section 15 of the Seeds Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Seeds Act 1966 15, section 15 Seeds Act 1966, section 15 of the Seeds Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with National Seeds Corporation Ltd. v. G. Yugandhar Reddy (16 Jan 2012).
What should I read with Section 15 of the Seeds Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 7 (Regulation or sale of seeds of notified kinds or varieties), section 14 (Powers of Seed Inspector), section 16 (Report of Seed Analyst), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. One instrument names it without being made under it, most recently the Seeds (Amendment) Rules, 2014 (2015).
When did Section 15 of the Seeds Act come into force?
Section 15 of the Seeds Act, cited as Seeds Act 1966 15, came into force on 02 Sep 1968, having been enacted on 29 Dec 1966. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 14. Powers of Seed Inspector490 words
- 25. Power to make rules470 words
- 2. Definitions317 words
- 3. Central Seed Committee298 words
- 16. Report of Seed Analyst264 words
- 21. Offences by companies229 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.