IAS Prelims 2025 — Polity & Governance | Question 13
Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk
📍 The Question
With reference to India, consider the following pairs:
| Organization | Union Ministry |
|---|---|
| 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?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
✅ Correct Answer: (d) None
🎯 Theme of the Question
Indian Polity & Governance
Administrative Structure of Union Government
Ministries, Boards and Institutional Mapping
This is a pure matching-and-classification question, frequently used by UPSC to test precision, not broad awareness.
🧠 Classroom Explanation
Let us verify each pair carefully.
🔹 Pair I: The National Automotive Board (NAB) ❌
Given: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Actual Position:
- The National Automotive Board functions under the
Ministry of Heavy Industries - It plays a key role in:
- Automotive policy support
- Implementation of schemes like FAME
❌ Hence, Pair I is not correctly matched.
🔹 Pair II: The Coir Board ❌
Given: Ministry of Heavy Industries
Actual Position:
- The Coir Board is a statutory body under the
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) - It promotes:
- Coir industry
- Coir products and exports
❌ Hence, Pair II is not correctly matched.
🔹 Pair III: National Centre for Trade Information (NCTI) ❌
Given: Ministry of MSME
Actual Position:
- The National Centre for Trade Information functions under the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry - It provides:
- Trade data
- Market intelligence
- Support to exporters and policymakers
❌ Hence, Pair III is not correctly matched.
📊 Final Assessment
| Pair | Status |
|---|---|
| I. NAB – Commerce Ministry | ❌ Incorrect |
| II. Coir Board – Heavy Industries | ❌ Incorrect |
| III. NCTI – MSME | ❌ Incorrect |
👉 All three pairs are wrongly matched
🧩 Prelims Trap Alert
- ❌ “Trade-related body = Commerce Ministry” → Not always
- ❌ “Industry = Heavy Industries” → Only for select sectors
- ✔️ Always verify administrative control, not functional appearance
🧠 One-Line Memory Hook
“Looks deceive — ministries decide.”
🧭 IAS Monk Whisper
In governance questions, the ministry tag is the real answer key.