Question 97 from UPSC CSE 2022 - Polity & Governanc e

Question

With reference to the "Tea Board" in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The Tea Board's Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
4. The Board has overseas offices at Dubai and Moscow.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. 1 and 4

Strategy: - Focus on keywords in each statement to assess its validity.
- Confirm Statement 1: The Tea Board is a statutory body established under a specific Act.
- Evaluate Statement 2: The Tea Board functions under the Ministry of Commerce, not Agriculture.
- Assess Statement 3: Kolkata is India's traditional tea capital, not Bengaluru.
- Verify Statement 4: Dubai and Moscow are established overseas offices for trade promotion.
- Conclude that only statements 1 and 4 are correct based on this evaluation.

Key Info: ## Tea Board of India Overview

The Tea Board of India is a statutory body established under Section 4 of the Tea Act, 1953, effective from April 1, 1954. It operates under the **Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry**, not the Ministry of Agriculture.

### Key Details

-   **Headquarters** -- Kolkata, West Bengal, reflecting the region's historical significance in the tea industry.
-   **Role** -- Regulatory and promotional body overseeing tea cultivation, processing, domestic trade, and export promotion.
-   **Composition** -- Comprises stakeholders including representatives from Parliament, tea producers, brokers, consumers, state governments, and trade unions.

### Overseas Presence

The Tea Board maintains offices in key international centers for export promotion and trade facilitation:

-   **Dubai**
-   **Moscow**

These offices serve as liaisons between Indian exporters and importers in the Middle East and Russia, both significant markets for Indian tea.

### Historical Context

The Tea Board succeeded earlier bodies:

-   Central Tea Board (established 1949)
-   Indian Tea Licensing Committee (under the Indian Tea Control Act, 1938)

Both previous acts were repealed by the Tea Act, 1953.

### Functions and Initiatives

The Tea Board facilitates a range of activities:

-   Research
-   Quality regulation and certification (e.g., GI tags)
-   Implementation of development schemes, particularly for small growers
-   Support for marketing initiatives for Indian tea, both domestically and internationally.

Answer

Option A: 1 and 3

Answer

Option B: 2 and 4

Answer

Option C: 3 and 4