When a local group under the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) ceases operations or fails to comply with standards, it must be formally de-listed. Leaving an inactive group on the portal skews compliance data and creates reporting errors for Regional Councils. This guide explains how to process a local group deactivation directly on the official portal.
The short version
- Verify group status ensure all pending peer appraisal reports are resolved before starting.
- Collect mandatory records obtain the written signed withdrawal letter or non-compliance notice.
- Initiate portal withdrawal submit the request through the Regional Council login.
- Archive certificate records download and save final certificate details for compliance history.
Prerequisites for Local Group Deactivation
Clear pending appraisals and obtain official withdrawal documentation before altering portal status.
Regional Councils (RC) cannot remove a group without proper grounds. The group must either submit a written request to withdraw or be issued a non-compliance order by the RC.
Before attempting to remove a group on the portal, check that all pending administrative actions are closed. If an annual peer appraisal report is under review, complete or cancel the workflow on the portal first.
Groups associated with active scheme funding under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) must clear scheme obligations before portal deactivation.
Did you know?The National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCOF) administers the PGS-India program under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Steps to Remove PGS Local Group
Log into the RC portal dashboard to select the group and process deactivation.
To process a local group deactivation, log into the official portal (pgsindia-ncof.gov.in) using your Regional Council credentials.
- Access group list: Navigate to the Local Group management section from your main dashboard menu.
- Select local group: Search by group name or Unique Identification Number (UID) to locate the group record.
- Choose deactivation reason: Select the primary cause for removal, such as voluntary withdrawal, non-submission of peer appraisals, or non-compliance.
- Upload signed document: Attach the scanned PDF of the signed resolution from the group or the RC deactivation order.
- Confirm removal: Submit the request to update the group status to inactive.
If you encounter a portal error indicating the operation is blocked while the group is inactive, check if individual member accounts need status updates before the entire group profile can be closed.
Managing Certificates and Farmer Records
Download historical certificates and record farmer status updates before final submission.
Once a local group is deactivated, active scope certificate downloads for that group become unavailable. You must preserve historical records for audit compliance.
Reviewing historical farmer lists and downloading individual record files manually takes about 3 minutes per profile. For a group with 20 farmers, this takes an hour. For a cluster of 15 groups comprising 300 farmers, completing this manual administrative process requires over 15 hours of work.
For additional details on initial group setup and member registration procedures, see our guide on PGS India Local Group Registration: Setup and Farmer Entry.
Questions People Ask
What is pgs in organic farming?
PGS stands for Participatory Guarantee System. It is a quality assurance initiative that certifies organic producers based on active participation of farmers and stakeholders, serving as an alternative to third-party certification.
What is the full form of PGS?
The full form of PGS is Participatory Guarantee System.
What are the full forms of PGS and NPOP?
PGS stands for Participatory Guarantee System, and NPOP stands for National Programme for Organic Production.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
What must be completed before initiating a local group deactivation on the portal?
- Issue a new export certificate
- Clear or resolve open workflows like pending peer appraisals
- Register new replacement farmers
Pending peer appraisal reports or workflows must be closed before the system allows profile updates.
Which authority administers the PGS-India portal system?
- APEDA
- National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCOF)
- State Land Revenue Department
NCOF is the nodal organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture that administers PGS-India.
Remember these things
- Verify that open peer appraisal workflows and scheme obligations are cleared before deactivation.
- Log into the RC dashboard to select the local group, state the reason, and upload supporting documents.
- Download historical certificate documents before final deactivation locks active administrative access.
Managing group statuses promptly keeps the official database accurate and compliant with National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCOF) guidelines. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.