Question

In which year was Enforcement Directorate established ?

• A. 1957
• B. 2009
• C. 2014
• D. 2019

Hint:

For questions about the establishment of government bodies, be aware that there can be an initial formation date and a subsequent renaming or restructuring date. Here, 1956 is the origin, but 1957 marks the establishment of the name 'Enforcement Directorate'.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a factual question asking for the year of establishment of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a specialized financial investigation agency in India.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- The origin of the Enforcement Directorate goes back to 1st May 1956, when an 'Enforcement Unit' was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs to handle exchange control law violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA '47).
- In the year 1957, this unit was renamed as the 'Enforcement Directorate', and a second branch was opened in Madras (now Chennai).
- Since the question asks when the 'Enforcement Directorate' was established, and the renaming happened in 1957, this is the most accurate answer among the given choices.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The Enforcement Directorate was established in 1957 (by renaming the Enforcement Unit formed in 1956).