RAS question
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts are enacted by:
Correct answer: (B) State governments.
Agricultural Produce Market Committee Acts are enacted by state governments because agriculture marketing is a state subject.
Explanation
APMC Acts are state laws, not central laws. Agriculture is in the State List, and agriculture marketing is a state subject. Wholesale marketing of agricultural produce is generally carried out through regulated APMC markets promoted by the respective State or Union Territory governments under their own State or UT APMC Acts. This is why the legal authority sits with states. The Centre can suggest model reforms and support agricultural marketing, but adoption depends on the states rather than on a central enactment.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Central government may support agricultural marketing and suggest reforms, but APMC Acts are made under the respective State or UT APMC framework.
- (C) NITI Aayog does not enact laws, and the APMC legal framework belongs to state-level agricultural marketing regulation.
- (D) Parliament does not enact State APMC Acts because agriculture marketing is treated as a state subject.
Concept
This tests federal division of powers in agricultural marketing, especially the State List basis of APMC regulation. RAS often repeats this area because it links Indian Economy, agriculture markets and Centre-state relations.