Tea Board of India: Know about TBI Origin, Committee and Role for UPSC

Published: Thursday, July 7, 2022, 16:10 [IST]

India being the Second Largest Tea producer in the world after China, holds a very significant position in terms of varieties of tea in the world. The average tea production of India is around 1,325,050 tones per year which is largely produced by Assam and West Bengal.

To regulate and supervise this huge production of tea, the Tea Board of India was established on April 1, 1954 by the tea Act 1953. Tea board of India is a State Agency of Government of India. Recently questions from this topic were asked in the UPSC preliminary exam 2022. So in this article you will get to learn about what TBI is and various aspects of it.

Origin Of Tea Leaves

Before knowing about the establishment of Tea Board of India (TBI), let's know about how tea has become the most favourite drink of Indians that is preferred by them anytime and anywhere. Tea, an aromatic beverage which is prepared by pouring hot water over fresh leaves of Camellia Sinensis, is an evergreen Shrub of China, India and other East-Asian Countries.

Cultivation of tea leaves in India, tea plants were first planted in the Darjeeling region in the mid-1800s. Historically, Assam after Southern China has been the second commercial tea production centre and these are the only two regions in the world with native tea plants.

Act Of Tea Board Of India

The Tea Board of India is a state agency which comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It's a constitutional body which was set up on April 1, 1954, as per section 4 of the Tea Act 1953. After being established by The Tea Act it has become a Statutory body of the Central Government under the Ministry of Commerce. After the establishment of TBI, it has succeeded:

The Central Tea Board Under the Central Tea Board Act 1949 and
The Indian Tea Licencing Committee under the Indian Tea Control Act, 1938 respectively.

TBI Headquarter: KOLKATA
Chairman & Deputy Chairman : Saurav Prahari, IAS
Director : S Soundarajan
Global Offices : LondonUnited Kingdom, Moscow, Russia and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Administrative Structure Of Tea Board Of India

The Administrative structure of The Tea board is composed of 32 Members in total including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman. This board is constituted every 3 years. The current chairman of Tea Board is Mr Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah. The members of board includes:

Members of Parliament
Tea producers
Tea traders
Tea brokers and
Consumers

Committees of Tea Board Of India

In India tea is one of the industries which by an Act of Parliament is governed by the Union Government. The Tea Board of India has 5 standing committees i.e.

Executive Committee
Tea Promotion Committee
Development Committee
Labour Welfare Committee
Licensing Committee (North India and South India)

Role And Functions Of Tea Board Of India

The main purpose behind the establishment of TBI is to promote the cultivation, processing, and domestic trade as well as export of tea from India to foreign lands. Here we are listing the following functions of The Tea Board Of India for better understanding.

The TBI was set up with an aim to promote the export-import of tea inside and outside the country.
The Tea Board India is responsible for the assignment of certification numbers to exports of tea merchants.
The certification ensures the origin of Tea, which is to reduce the amount of fraudulent labelling on rare teas such as ones harvested in Darjeeling.
To improve the quality of tea production by enhancing research and development activities.
Another function of TBI is to provide financial help through the labour welfare schemes to the plantation workers and their wards.
The Tea Board of India also assists the unorganised small growers' sector by providing them technical support and financial help.
It plays a significant role in coordinating research institutes, the tea trade and government bodies. It Also ensures the technical support of the tea trade in the global industry.
TBI also monitors the advancement in tea packaging as it relates to health beneficial aspects.
The certification ensures the teas' origin, which in turn would reduce the amount of fraudulent labelling on rare teas such as ones harvested in Darjeeling.

Some Interesting Facts On Tea

Here we are Presenting some facts that you should know about various dimensions of the Tea Industry in India and outside the country.

The first Indian Tea Cess bill was passed in 1903.
The state of Assam is the second tea production region after South China having Native tea plants in the world.
Tea plants were first planted in Darjeeling in the 1800s.
The famous tea of Darjeeling is made from Camellia sinensis var. Darjeeling tea was given the GI Tag in 2004.
The tea produced in Kangra valley was given GI Tag in 2005.
Tea is also made from the leaves of Camellia taliensis.
Indian Tea Association is a trade association of Indian tea producers which was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Kolkata.

Where is the Tea Board of India Situated?

The head office of TBI is situated in Kolkata.

Which Indian State is Known as the Tea Garden of India?

Assam, situated in the northeast of India, which is one of the largest tea producing regions of the world is known as the tea garden of India.

When was the tea act passed in India?

The tea act was passed in India in 1953.

Who is the Chairman of the Tea Board?

IAS Officer Saurav Pahari is the Chairman as well as Deputy Chairman of Tea Board.

When Was Tea Introduced in India?

In the Nineteenth century tea was introduced in India with an Aim to overcome the monopoly of Chinese production. The first area to be planted was the mountain region surrounding the city of Darjeeling, perched on the Himalayan foothills, in the 1850s.