The Central Silk Board Act, 1948

(1) This Act may be called the Central Silk Board Act, 1948. 1[(2) It extends to the whole of India 2***.]

1[2. Declaration as to expediency of Union control.--It is hereby declared that it is expedient in thepublic interest that the Union should take under its control the silk industry.]

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,-- (a) Board means the Central Silk Board constituted under this Act; 1[(aa) "Central Silk-worm Seed Testing Laboratory" means the Central Seed TestingLaboratory established or accredited under sub-section (1) of section 8G; (b) "charkha raw silk" means raw silk reeled from silk worm cocoons with the help ofany instrument not worked by power; 1[(ba) "Committee" means the Central Silk-worm Seed Committee constituted under subsection(1) of section 8A; (bb) "dealer" means a person who carries on the business of buying and selling, export orimport of silk-worm seed, cocoons, chawkie reared silk-worms and includes an agent of a dealer; (bc) "export" means taking out of India to a place outside India;] (c) "filature raw silk" means raw silk reeled from silk worm cocoons with the help of anyinstrument worked by power; 1[(ca) "Hybrid Authorisation Committee" means the Hybrid Authorisation Committeeconstituted under sub-section (1) of section 8D; (cb) import means bringing into India from a place outside India; (cc) "notified kind or variety" in relation to silk-worm seed means, any kind or varietythereof notified under sub-section (1) of section 8C;] (d) "power" means any form of energy which is mechanically transmitted and is not generated byhuman or animal agency, and includes electrical energy; (e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 2[(ea) "Registration Committee" means the Registration Committee constituted under subsection(2) of section 8E; (eb) "regulation" means regulation made by the Committee under this Act; (ec) "silk-worm seed or seed" means all kinds of silk-worm seeds produced from the puresilk-worm races including the hybrids produced from two or more pure races, silk-worm seedcocoons of all kinds and moths thereof intended to be used or reared for the purpose ofproduction or for commercial exploitation. Explanation.-- For the purposes of this clause,-- (i) "pure races" means silk-worm breed or variety maintained through reproductivesilk-worm seed with features true to the parents; (ii) "hybrids" means the seed produced involving two or more pure races or parentalraces with the objective of exploiting heterosis or hybrid vigour; (ed) "Silk-worm Seed Analyst" means a Seed Analyst appointed or notified under sub-section(3) of section 8G; (ee) "Silk-worm Seed Certification Agency" means the Silk-worm Seed Certification Agencyconstituted or accredited under section 8F; (ef) "Silk-worm Seed Officer" means Seed Officer appointed or notified under sub-section(1) of section 8H;] (f) "spun silk" means silk yarn spun from pierced or spoilt cocoons, fluff from cocoons, pieces ofsilk, coils, or other silk waste; (g) "Standing Committee" means the Standing Committee of the Board constituted under subsection(2) of section 6.

(1) As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, theCentral Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute for the purposes of this Act aBoard to be called the Central Silk Board. (2) The Board shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and acommon seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and tocontract, and shall by the said name sue and be sued. 1[(3) The Board shall consist of the following members, namely:-- (a) a2[Chairperson] to be appointed by the Central Government; 3[(b) not more than three officials to be nominated by the Central Government, one of whomshall be the head of the Silk Division in the Ministry of Textiles as the 4[Vice-Chairperson] and oneshall be the Secretary of the Board, both being the officers not below the rank of Joint Secretary to theGovernment of India;] Provided that it shall be lawful for any such official to depute in the prescribed circumstancesanother official to attend any meeting of the Board on his behalf; (c) six persons to be elected by Parliament, four from the House of the People by the members ofthe House of the People and two from the Council of States by the members of the Council of States; 5[Provided that a member of Parliament shall, upon ceasing to be a member of the House of thePeople or as the case may be, the Council of States, cease to be a member of the Board.] (d)6[five persons] to be nominated by the Government of 7[Karnataka], one of whom shallrepresent the filature raw silk industry and two shall represent the rest of the sericulture industry; (e)8[one person] to be nominated by the Government of 9[Tamil Nadu]; (f) two persons to be nominated by the Governor of West Bengal; (g) one person to be nominated by each of the Governments of 10[Andhra Pradesh], Assam, Bihar,Chhattisgarh, 11[Gujarat],12* * * , Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal;] (h) one person to be nominated by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir; (i) not more than three persons to be nominated by the Central Government to represent theproducers of raw silk and areas other than the States specified in clauses (d) to (g) inclusive; (j) eight persons to be nominated by the Central Government, of whom one shall represent thespun-silk industry, one the silk throwing and twisting industry, one the silk weaving industry, onelabour; and two of them shall be experts in sericulture.] (4) The members of the Board shall receive from its funds such travelling and other allowances asmay be prescribed. 13[(5) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the term of office of a member shall be such period,not exceeding three years, as may be prescribed. (6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5),-- (a) the Central Government may terminate the appointment of the 14[Chairperson]after givinghim notice for a period of not less than three months; (b) the 14[Chairperson]may resign his office by giving notice in writing for a period of notless than three months to the Central Government, and on such resignation being notified in theOfficial Gazette by that Government, the 14[Chairperson]shall be deemed to have vacated hisoffice.]

1[4A.Disqualification for being nominated or appointed as a member of Board.-- A person shallbe disqualified for being nominated or appointed or for continuing as a member, if he-- (a) is not a citizen of India; or (b) has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence which, in the opinion of theCentral Government, involves moral turpitude; or (c) is an undischarged insolvent; or (d) has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a member; or (e) has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his function as amember.]