Mobile Application for Plant Quarantine Regulations to Import in India

Abstract

India is a very large country where 69% of total population depends on Agriculture. Agriculture has a great role in Indian economy because it contributes significantly about 14.8% in 2013-14 to the Gross Domestic Product. The percentage share of import and export of plant commodities have been of the order 3.22% and 13.79% of national import and export in 2013-14. There has always been the possibility of moving exotic insect pests, diseases and weeds from other country to India. Exotic pests and diseases introduced into India cause a huge damage to Indian agricultural trade. For these reasons to prevent the introduction of various exotic pests, diseases and weeds from other countries or within states of country, legal restrictions are enforced which is commonly known as Plant Quarantine. Plant Quarantine regulations at national level are known as Domestic Quarantine as well as at international level known as Foreign Quarantine. The implementation of the quarantine measures is assisted by legal approval, called quarantine laws. It acts as an important technique or procedure to exclude exotic pests from the crop. Efficient implementation of quarantine is extremely emphasized to manage pests, consequently which helps in sustaining the productivity of crops. Now mobile phones are very much preferable by the common men. Information can easily be shared through the mobile application. At present Plant Quarantine import regulations are presented in pdf form hence it is a tedious process for the users to find their specific requirement. It is very hard for an importer to know at any situation about these regulations whether any plant commodity is prohibited or allowed to import in India. Thus the need arises to provide the information in searchable manner. Import regulations are enlisted in four schedules with justification, condition, additional declaration on the basis of Commodity, Country of origin of the commodity, Category of the Commodity, Plant Part of the Commodity. This paper presents the requirement analysis, design, development and testing of an android based mobile application with different features which provide information about import regulations related to Commodity, Country Of Origin, Category, Plant Part which is promulgated by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmer Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India to prevent the entry and spread of dangerous pests and pathogens.