Question map
With reference to India, consider the following pairs : I. The National Automotive Board : Ministry of Commerce and Industry II. The Coir Board : Ministry of Heavy Industries III. The National Centre for Trade Information : Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Explanation
None of the three pairs are correctly matched.
**Pair I is incorrect:** The National Automotive Board is being set up as an autonomous society under the administrative control of DHI (Department[1] of Heavy[2] Industry), not the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
**Pair II is incorrect:** The Government of India provides funds to Coir Board through the Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)[3], not the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
**Pair III is incorrect:** The National Centre for Trade Information (NCTI) was involved in providing customized trade information services to the Department of Commerce, ITPO and other Government organizations[4], indicating its association with the Ministry of Commerce, not the Ministry of MSME.
Since all three pairs are incorrectly matched, the correct answer is option D - None.
Sources- [1] https://heavyindustries.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-09/auto_report_final.pdf
- [2] https://heavyindustries.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-09/auto_report_final.pdf
- [3] https://msme.gov.in/sites/default/files/MSMEANNUALREPORT2022-23ENGLISH.pdf
- [4] https://www.commerce.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Annual-Report-FY-2022-23-DoC.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Ministry Shuffle' trap. The examiner took three bodies and rotated their parent ministries to test your 'Sectoral Logic' rather than rote memory. If you know Coir is a cottage industry (MSME) and Automotive is heavy manufacturing (Heavy Industries), the mismatches become obvious without knowing the exact facts.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states the National Automotive Board will be set up under the administrative control of DHI.
- DHI (Department of Heavy Industry) is the administrative body mentioned in the official report.
- Reiterates that the National Automotive Board is being set up as an autonomous society under the administrative control of DHI.
- Connects NABβs establishment and administrative control directly to the Department of Heavy Industry.
- Links the National Board and related bodies to the Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry.
- States the National Council and the Board will be serviced by NATIS/National Automotive Board, tying NAB to the Department of Heavy Industry.
Shows a pattern: a 'National ...' autonomous body (for National Highways) is explicitly placed under a specific ministry (Ministry of Surface Transport).
A student could infer that similarly named sectoral 'National ... Board' bodies are likely administered by the ministry responsible for that sector (here, transportation/automotive).
Gives an explicit example where the Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted and administers the National Afforestation and Eco-development Board.
Use this rule of thumb (sectoral National Boards are under the corresponding central ministry) to suspect which ministry would administer a National Automotive Board (the ministry overseeing automobiles/transport).
Notes that ministries have administrative control over sectoral undertakings and research organisations (example: Ministry of Railways and RDSO).
Apply the same logic: identify which central ministry handles the automotive sector, then test whether that ministry administers the National Automotive Board.
Describes how the Central Government/ministry executes sectoral functions through agencies (e.g., National Highways Authority of India under the concerned ministry).
A student could look up which central ministry handles automotive policy/industry (using basic outside knowledge) and expect the National Automotive Board to be under that ministry for administrative purposes.
- The passage explicitly names the Ministry of MSME in direct relation to the Coir Board.
- It states that the Government of India provides funds to the Coir Board under the Ministry of MSME, indicating administrative oversight.
- Describes Central government financial arrangements involving the Coir Board and central schemes.
- Shows the Coir Board's operations and funding are tied to central government budgetary outlays, consistent with administration by a central ministry (Ministry of MSME as identified in passage 7).
Lists the 'Coir Board' together with other AllβIndia industry/product boards (Silk Board, Handloom Board, etc.), implying it is a central statutory/administrative board for a specific sector.
A student can infer that, like other sectoral boards, the Coir Board will be administered by the central ministry responsible for that sector and so should check which ministry handles the coir industry.
Explains that personnel and specialized functional positions at the Centre are 'controlled and managed by their respective ministries/departments', indicating sectoral boards are normally under a specific ministry.
Use this rule to look up which central ministry has policy responsibility for coir (the sector) to identify the administering ministry of the board.
Refers to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961 making specific ministries 'nodal' for subjects, showing that particular subjects/areas are allocated to specific ministries.
Apply this pattern: find the Allocation of Business or ministry portfolio that includes 'coir' or rural/industry items to deduce the Coir Board's parent ministry.
Gives examples of how particular subjects at the Centre are explicitly dealt with by named ministries (e.g., Housing and Urban Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs), illustrating the general practice of assigning sectors to ministries.
By analogy, determine which ministry's remit includes cottage/ rural industries or fibre products, then check whether that ministry administers the Coir Board.
- Explicitly states NCTI provided services to the Department of Commerce, linking the centre to that ministry.
- Shows NCTI's operational relationship with Department of Commerce and ITPO (an agency under the commerce ministry).
- Identifies NCTI as a joint venture of ITPO (India Trade Promotion Organisation), which is covered in the Department of Commerce report, implying administration via the commerce ministry.
- Places NCTI within the institutional structure related to the commerce ministry (ITPO and NIC JV).
- Lists National Centre for Trade Information among other organizations in the Department of Commerce document, indicating it is administered/recorded by the commerce ministry.
- Provides the NCTI address within a Department of Commerce context.
Gives a clear example that a national-level organisation related to industry/productivity (NPC) is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
A student could infer that other trade/industry information bodies (like the NCTI) are plausibly placed under the same Ministry (Commerce & Industry / DPIIT) and then check ministry organizational lists or websites to confirm.
Discusses central coordination of trade and commerce (recommendation for an InterβState Trade and Commerce Commission under Entry 42 of List I), indicating trade is a central subject handled via central ministries/commissions.
Knowing trade is typically a central ministry responsibility, a student could narrow the likely administrative home of NCTI to central commerce-related ministries and then verify online.
Describes government-run Export Processing Zones and their role in promoting international trade, illustrating that export/trade promotion institutions are set up by central government bodies.
Use the pattern that export/trade promotion entities are centrally administered to suspect NCTI is under the central Ministry concerned with commerce/exports and then check official sources.
Shows the general pattern that specific regulatory/administrative offices (e.g., RNI) are attached to the corresponding central ministry (here Information & Broadcasting).
Apply this general rule (sectoral agency β attached to the relevant central ministry) to infer a trade information centre would likely be attached to the Ministry handling commerce/industry.
- [THE VERDICT]: Trap (Ministry Shuffle). Sources: India Year Book (Industry chapters) or Ministry Annual Reports. The question relies on detecting logical inconsistencies.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Institutional Framework. Specifically, the 'Allocation of Business Rules' which decides which Ministry handles which sector (e.g., Manufacturing vs. Trade vs. Small Scale).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the parentage of key Commodity Boards: Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Spices, Tobacco (Ministry of Commerce); Central Silk Board, Jute Board (Ministry of Textiles); Coir Board, KVIC (Ministry of MSME); National Automotive Board (Ministry of Heavy Industries).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize lists blindly. Apply functional logic: Does the product sound like a village industry? (MSME/Textiles). Does it involve heavy machinery? (Heavy Industries). Does it involve export regulation? (Commerce).
Autonomous boards are established and placed under the administrative control of the ministry responsible for that sector (for example, transport or environment).
High-yield for UPSC because many questions ask which ministry is the nodal/administrative authority for a statutory board or autonomous body. Mastering this helps answer match-the-following, identify-the-ministry, and governance questions that link institutions to ministries.
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > National Highways > p. 76
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 10: Indian Forest > 10.4.1, National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board > p. 167
The central transport ministry is the nodal authority for national highways and manages development via agencies like NHAI, PWD and BRO.
Important for syllabus areas (Infrastructure, Geography, Polity) because UPSC often asks which central ministry oversees national transport agencies and schemes. Understanding this helps deduce which ministry would typically administer transport-related boards or authorities.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Highways and Roads > p. 2
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > National Highways > p. 76
Coir Board is listed among central sector boards such as Khadi, Handicrafts, Handloom, Silk and Small-scale Industries Boards.
High-yield: knowing which statutory boards exist and their sectoral grouping helps answer questions on rural development, cottage industries and institutional frameworks; connects to questions on schemes, rural livelihoods and sectoral governance.
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 9: Directive Principles of State Policy > The Supreme Court of India in National Legal Services Authority v UOI, observed: > p. 187
Central specialised services and functional positions are managed by their respective ministries, implying sectoral boards are typically administered by the ministry responsible for that sector.
Important for UPSC governance and administration topics: understanding that ministries exercise administrative control enables candidates to infer likely ministerial custodians for boards and commissions; aids elimination in MCQs on administrative jurisdiction.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 74: Public Services > Central Services > p. 546
The Allocation of Business Rules designates nodal ministries (for example, Ministry of Home Affairs for Union Territory matters), illustrating the mechanism for assigning subject responsibility to ministries.
High-yield for constitutional/administrative law: mastering this concept helps answer questions on how administrative responsibility is allocated across ministries and how central control is organized; useful in questions on departmental jurisdiction and central administration.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 41: Union Territories > ADVISORY COMMITTEES OF UNION TERRITORIES > p. 412
Identifying the parent ministry is the direct way to determine which ministry administers a given national centre.
UPSC frequently asks which ministry oversees specific national bodies; mastering how institutes are allocated to ministries helps answer administrative and governance questions and links to questions on institutional roles and accountability. This enables elimination of options in MCQs and supports explanation-type answers about administrative control.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Print Media > p. 45
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL (NPC) > p. 401
- Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: DEVELOPMENT > Sources for Information > p. 17
Trade-related national organisations are commonly administered through the Ministry of Commerce & Industry or its departments (e.g., DPIIT).
Questions about trade promotion, export bodies, and related institutes often point to the Commerce Ministry or its departments; knowing this helps tackle polity-economy linkage questions and institution-identification items in prelims and mains.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL (NPC) > p. 401
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Export Processing Zones (EPZ) > p. 50
The 'Central Silk Board' is a favorite trap sibling. Unlike the Tea/Coffee/Rubber boards (which are under the Ministry of Commerce), the Silk Board is under the Ministry of Textiles. Expect a future pair swapping these.
Use the 'Adjective Mismatch' Hack. Look at Pair II: 'Coir' (coconut fiber, cottage industry) is paired with 'Heavy Industries' (cars, turbines). This is a semantic contradiction. Eliminate II immediately. Similarly, 'Trade Information' (Pair III) is the core mandate of the Commerce Ministry, not MSME. Once you spot the shuffle, the answer is usually 'None' or 'Only one'.
Link to Mains GS-3 (Industrial Policy & Exports): Discuss how the fragmentation of commodity boards across different ministries (Commerce, MSME, Textiles) creates coordination challenges for schemes like 'One District One Product' (ODOP).