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IndiaCode Laws
Section4
The Spices Board Act, 1986

Secretary and other officers

In force From 26 Feb 1987 Act 10 of 1986 As on 21 Oct 2026

Act 10 of 1986 Ministry Commerce and Industry Enacted 20 Mar 1986 In force 26 Feb 1987 Cited by 1 provision Instruments 9

Section 4 of the Spices Board Act, 1986 deals with secretary and other officers. The Board may appoint the Secretary and such other officers and employees as it considers necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions under this Act. The Act came into force on 26 Feb 1987.

(1) The Board may appoint the Secretary and such other officers and employees as it considers necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions under this Act.

(2) The terms and conditions of service of the Secretary and other officers and employees of the Board shall be such as may be determined by regulations.

Section 4, The Spices Board Act, 1986 (Act 10 of 1986).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Referred to by 1

  1. s. 39 Power to make regulations

Related judgements & precedents

These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.

  1. The Cardamom Grower's Association & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (Spices Board)

    High Court 26 Sep 2018 Persuasive (High Court Single Bench — Secretary of Spices Board cannot unilaterally revise cardamom auction schedules; policy decisions require Board-level action and stakeholder hearing; emergency Rule 14(B)(v) powers do not displace Board competence) W.P.(C) No. 25592/2018 & connected; Final Order 26.09.2018 (Kerala HC — Anu Sivaraman J.)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Policy-level revision of cardamom auction schedules cannot be unilaterally ordered by the Secretary of the Spices Board. The Board (not the Secretary exercising emergency Rule 14(B)(v) powers) is the competent authority for such decisions, especially where the Board had already considered and rejected the same request. Stakeholders (growers and licensed auctioneers) must be heard before a fresh decision. Exhibits revising the schedule issued by the Secretary were quashed; auctions to continue on the prior schedule pending Board consultation. DATE-VERIFIED Final Order 2018-09-26 (order-1.pdf).

    On this section: s.4 creates the Secretary as Board officer; this Final Order teaches the outer limits of the Secretary’s office — appointment/empowerment under s.4 does not authorise unilateral policy substitution for Board decisions on auction schedules.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.

Made under this section, and citing it

1 instrument states that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.

Another 8 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.

All subordinate legislation

Questions about Section 4

What have the courts held on Section 4 of the Spices Board Act?

The Cardamom Grower's Association & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (Spices Board) (26 Sep 2018) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.4 creates the Secretary as Board officer; this Final Order teaches the outer limits of the Secretary’s office — appointment/empowerment under s.4 does not authorise unilateral policy substitution for Board decisions on auction schedules.

How do I find court cases under Section 4 of the Spices Board Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Spices Board Act 1986 4, section 4 Spices Board Act 1986, section 4 of the Spices Board Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with The Cardamom Grower's Association & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (Spices Board) (26 Sep 2018).

What should I read with Section 4 of the Spices Board Act, and has it changed?

1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there is one: most recently Constitution of Warangal Spice Development Agency (2017).

When did Section 4 of the Spices Board Act come into force?

Section 4 of the Spices Board Act, cited as Spices Board Act 1986 4, came into force on 26 Feb 1987, having been enacted on 20 Mar 1986. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 21 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.