Four pesticide names show up together in one UPSC question: carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate, and triazophos. All four are farm chemicals, and two of them sit in the World Health Organization’s most dangerous hazard class.
🏛️ Must Know
What carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate, and triazophos are
- Answer All four are pesticides used in Indian agriculture, not food additives or cosmetics.
- Chemistry Carbofuran is a carbamate. Methyl parathion, phorate, and triazophos are organophosphates.
- Use Farmers spray or apply them to kill insects, mites, and nematodes on crops.
- Why apprehension All four are highly toxic to humans, and some have been linked to bird deaths.
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📘 Good to Know
How the World Health Organization ranks their danger
- WHO Class Ia Methyl parathion and phorate fall in Class Ia, the “extremely hazardous” tier.
- WHO Class Ib Carbofuran and triazophos fall in Class Ib, the “highly hazardous” tier.
- Poisoning risk These classes cover chemicals that can kill in small doses if swallowed or absorbed.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2019 — Carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate, and triazophos
- UPSC 2019 The question asked what these four chemicals are used as. The correct answer is pesticides in agriculture. See UPSC CSP 2019 GS Paper I, Q39. View this question.
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Great to Know
🌟 Great to Know
Why India has struggled to ban these pesticides
- Verma Committee An expert panel led by Dr Anupam Verma reviewed 66 pesticides banned or restricted abroad but still sold in India.
- 2018 ban The government banned 18 of those pesticides in 2018, including several Class I chemicals.
- Carbofuran left out Carbofuran was not part of that 2018 ban, despite its WHO Class Ib hazard rating.
- Triazophos ban Triazophos manufacture stopped from January 2019, and its use was fully banned from December 2020.
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