Overview
- A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N. K. Singh issued notice and sought responses from the DGFT and the agriculture, commerce and consumer affairs ministries.
- The court said it would examine the case and asked whether domestic pulse production can meet demand, cautioning that consumers should not suffer from shortages.
- The petition cites imports priced around ₹3,500 per quintal versus MSPs of ₹7,000–₹8,768, and says India imported 6.7 million tonnes of pulses in 2024, including about 2.9 million tonnes of yellow peas.
- It relies on a March 2025 CACP recommendation to ban further yellow‑pea imports and a September NITI Aayog call to boost domestic pulse output; an August letter from the agriculture minister flagged price depression from duty‑free entries.
- Kisan Mahapanchayat asks the court to set aside the May 31 order allowing unrestricted duty‑free imports or to direct curbs so imported peas sell at or above MSP, with the Centre’s formal response pending.