βοΈ Chapter 02 Β· Topic 06 Β· Constitutional Bodies
Constitutional & Statutory Bodies β Complete Revision
All bodies β article/act, type, composition, tenure, appointment, functions in one master revision page.
β‘ Master Comparison Table
| Body | Type | Article/Act | Tenure | Appointed by | Key Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAG | Constitutional | Art 148 | 6 yrs / 65 yrs | President | Audit Union + State accounts |
| Finance Commission | Constitutional | Art 280 | 5 years (each FC) | President | Tax devolution CentreβStates |
| UPSC | Constitutional | Art 315 | 6 yrs / 65 yrs | President | Civil services recruitment |
| Election Commission | Constitutional | Art 324 | 6 yrs / 65 yrs | President | Conduct elections |
| NCSC | Constitutional | Art 338 | 3 yrs | President | Safeguard SC interests |
| NCST | Constitutional | Art 338A | 3 yrs | President | Safeguard ST interests |
| NCBC | Constitutional | Art 338B | 3 yrs | President | Safeguard OBC interests |
| CVC | Statutory | CVC Act 2003 | 4 yrs / 65 yrs | President | Anti-corruption; CBI oversight |
| NHRC | Statutory | PHR Act 1993 | 3 yrs / 70 yrs | President | Human rights protection |
| CIC | Statutory | RTI Act 2005 | 5 yrs / 65 yrs | President | RTI second appeals |
| CBI | Statutory | DSPE Act 1946 | Director: 2 yrs min | President | Investigation of crimes |
| NCW | Statutory | NCW Act 1990 | 3 yrs | Central Govt | Women’s rights |
| Lokpal | Statutory | Lokpal Act 2013 | 5 yrs / 70 yrs | President | Anti-corruption (PM, Ministers, MPs) |
β‘ Quick-Fire Key Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| CAG reports examined by | Public Accounts Committee (PAC) β chaired by Opposition |
| Finance Commission devolution (15th FC) | 41% to states (N.K. Singh, 2020β26) |
| 16th Finance Commission Chairman | Arvind Panagariya (2026β31) |
| UPSC members retire at | 65 years; State PSC members at 62 years |
| CEC removal procedure | Impeachment β same as Supreme Court judge |
| First CEC of India | Sukumar Sen (1950) |
| EVM introduced nationwide | 2004 general elections |
| VVPAT introduced | 2013; all constituencies from 2019 |
| CVC appointment committee | PM + Home Minister + Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) |
| NHRC cannot investigate complaints older than | 1 year |
| RTI response time | 30 days (48 hours if life/liberty) |
| First Lokpal of India | Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (2019) |
| CBI Director tenure | Minimum 2 years |
| NCSC Article | Article 338; NCST = 338A; NCBC = 338B |
β Master Revision Checklist β Chapter 02
β
Constitutional bodies = created by Constitution = CAG, FC, UPSC, ECI, NCSC, NCST, NCBC
β Statutory bodies = created by Act of Parliament = CVC, NHRC, CIC, CBI, NCW, Lokpal
β CAG = Art 148 = 6 yrs/65 yrs = “Guardian of Public Purse” = PAC examines reports
β Finance Commission = Art 280 = every 5 years = 16th FC = Arvind Panagariya
β UPSC = Art 315 = 6 yrs/65 yrs = conducts CSE, CDS, NDA, CAPF
β Election Commission = Art 324 = CEC + 2 ECs = 6 yrs/65 yrs
β CEC removal = impeachment; EC removal = President on CEC recommendation
β Model Code of Conduct = from election announcement = not statutory
β CVC = CVC Act 2003 = 4 yrs/65 yrs = apex anti-corruption body
β NHRC = PHR Act 1993 = 3 yrs/70 yrs = retired CJI as Chairperson
β CIC = RTI Act 2005 = 5 yrs/65 yrs = second appeals
β CBI = DSPE Act 1946 = needs state consent for state subjects
β Lokpal = Lokpal Act 2013 = first Lokpal = Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (2019)
β Statutory bodies = created by Act of Parliament = CVC, NHRC, CIC, CBI, NCW, Lokpal
β CAG = Art 148 = 6 yrs/65 yrs = “Guardian of Public Purse” = PAC examines reports
β Finance Commission = Art 280 = every 5 years = 16th FC = Arvind Panagariya
β UPSC = Art 315 = 6 yrs/65 yrs = conducts CSE, CDS, NDA, CAPF
β Election Commission = Art 324 = CEC + 2 ECs = 6 yrs/65 yrs
β CEC removal = impeachment; EC removal = President on CEC recommendation
β Model Code of Conduct = from election announcement = not statutory
β CVC = CVC Act 2003 = 4 yrs/65 yrs = apex anti-corruption body
β NHRC = PHR Act 1993 = 3 yrs/70 yrs = retired CJI as Chairperson
β CIC = RTI Act 2005 = 5 yrs/65 yrs = second appeals
β CBI = DSPE Act 1946 = needs state consent for state subjects
β Lokpal = Lokpal Act 2013 = first Lokpal = Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (2019)