Indian Polity & Constitution

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high importance~3 Q in Tier 1⚡ 16 shortcuts8 subtopics

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Constitutional & Statutory Bodies (with current heads)

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⏱ 7 min read🧩 5 question types🎯 14 practice Q

The idea in one minute

Constitutional vs statutory bodies — with current heads (as on 23 September 2026)

Body	Article / Act	Nature	Current head (2026)
Election Commission	Art. 324	Constitutional	CEC Gyanesh Kumar (26th CEC, since Feb 2025); CEC + 2 ECs; CEC removable like a SC judge; appointments now under the CEC and Other ECs (Appointment etc.) Act, 2023 — PM + LoP (LS) + a Union Minister
UPSC	Arts. 315–323	Constitutional	Dr. Ajay Kumar (Chairman since 15 May 2025); members hold office for 6 years or till 65
CAG	Art. 148	Constitutional	K. Sanjay Murthy (15th CAG, since Nov 2024); term 6 years or 65; audits accounts; reports go to the President/Governor and are examined by the PAC
Attorney General	Art. 76	Constitutional office	R. Venkataramani (16th AG; extended till 30 Sep 2027); right to speak in Parliament, no vote
Finance Commission	Art. 280	Constitutional	16th FC — Dr. Arvind Panagariya; report tabled 1 Feb 2026; award period 2026–31; recommends States' share — 41% of the divisible pool (same as 15th FC)
NITI Aayog	1 Jan 2015 (Cabinet resolution)	Neither constitutional nor statutory	Chair: PM; Vice-Chair: A.K. Lahiri (May 2026); CEO: Anurag Jain (Aug 2026); replaced the Planning Commission (1950)
NHRC	Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (amended 2019)	Statutory	Justice V. Ramasubramanian (since Dec 2024); chair is a former CJI or SC judge
Central Information Commission	RTI Act, 2005	Statutory	Raj Kumar Goyal (CIC since 15 Dec 2025); CIC + up to 10 Information Commissioners
Central Vigilance Commission	CVCA, 2003	Statutory	Supervises CBI's work under the Prevention of Corruption Act
Lokpal	Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013	Statutory	Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (Chair since Mar 2024); first chair: Justice P.C. Ghose (2019)

Key contrasts often asked: CAG — ineligible for further Government office after term; UPSC chairman — also ineligible; SPSC chairman can be made a UPSC member; AG is not a full-time government servant; NITI Aayog has no statutory backing while the Finance Commission is mandated every five years.

Constitutional bodies — the permanent machinery

Election Commission (Article 324): conducts elections to Parliament, state assemblies, and the offices of President and Vice-President. Since 1993 it is a multi-member body — the CEC and two Election Commissioners with equal powers. The CEC can be removed only like a Judge of the Supreme Court; the other Commissioners, on the CEC's recommendation. Tools: the Model Code of Conduct, electoral rolls, recognition of parties, symbols.
Union Public Service Commission (Articles 315–323): recruits for Union services. Members serve 6 years or till 65; removal grounds for the chairman mirror a Supreme Court judge's; expenses are charged on the Consolidated Fund. State PSCs mirror it (members retire at 62), with a UPSC-facilitated removal.
Comptroller and Auditor-General (Articles 148–151): the 'guardian of the public purse'. Term 6 years or age 65; after leaving office, the CAG cannot take any further government post. Audits the accounts of the Union and the states, and bodies substantially financed by them; reports go to the President/Governor and are laid before the legislature. The PAC examines the CAG's reports (DPC Act, 1971 governs audit duties).
Finance Commission (Article 280): a quasi-judicial body, constituted every five years (or earlier); Chairman + four members (qualifications set by Parliament's Finance Act, 1951). Recommends the vertical and horizontal devolution of central taxes, grants-in-aid (Article 275), and measures to augment state funds for panchayats/municipalities. Its advice is advisory, not binding.
Attorney-General (Article 76) and Advocate-General (Article 165): chief law officers of the Union and the state; hold office during pleasure; the AG may speak in Parliament but not vote.
Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities (Article 350B); NCSC (Article 338) and NCBC (Article 338B); Official Language rules sit in Part XVII.

Statutory and related bodies — know the parent law

Body	Parent law / note
CVC	Statutory from 2003 (earlier executive, 1964; Santhanam Committee advice)
CIC	RTI Act, 2005; Chief Information Commissioner + Information Commissioners
NHRC	Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993; chaired by a former Chief Justice of India
Lokpal	Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
NGT	National Green Tribunal Act, 2010; fast-track environmental adjudication
NITI Aayog	Created by a Cabinet resolution, 1 January 2015 (non-statutory), replacing the Planning Commission
NCW	National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (set up 1992)

Remember the split: constitutional bodies (EC, UPSC, CAG, Finance Commission, NCSC/NCBC) exist because the Constitution says so; statutory bodies exist because a law of Parliament created them; NITI Aayog is neither — it is an executive creation. Exams love asking which is which, and whether a body's expenses are charged on the Consolidated Fund (UPSC, CAG — yes).

Exams also ask about tenure numbers (6 years or 65 for CEC, CAG, UPSC chairman) and the removal ladder (CEC/UPSC-CAG chairman like an SC judge). Names of current office-holders change — revise them separately just before your exam; this lesson sticks to structure.

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common3 practice Q

Election Commission structure and removal

How to spot it:

'How many members does the EC have', 'how can the CEC be removed', 'who conducts President/Vice-President elections', statement sets on the EC.

Method

Multi-member since 1993: CEC + two Election Commissioners, all with equal powers.
Removal ladder: CEC — like a Supreme Court judge; other ECs — on the CEC's recommendation.
Jurisdiction: Parliament, state legislatures, and the President and Vice-President elections. Local-body elections belong to the State Election Commissions, not the EC.

Try this

The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed —

Show solution

In the same manner as a Judge of the Supreme Court — by Parliament on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity, through a special-majority process.

Type 2common3 practice Q

UPSC and CAG: tenure and features

How to spot it:

'The CAG is called the guardian of', 'UPSC members' tenure', 'who audits the accounts of the states', which expenses are charged on the CFI.

Method

UPSC: Article 315; members serve 6 years or till 65; expenses charged on the CFI.
CAG: Article 148; 6 years or 65; audits Union and state accounts; barred from further government office; reports to the President/Governor.
PAC (22 members, opposition chairman) examines the CAG's reports — 'friend, philosopher and guide of the PAC'.

Try this

The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India is appointed by the President under Article —

Show solution

Article 148; his removal mirrors that of a Supreme Court judge, and the Constitution bars him from any further office under the Government of India or a state after retirement.

Type 3common2 practice Q

Finance Commission

How to spot it:

'The Finance Commission is constituted every', 'who decides tax devolution', 'how many members', 'is its advice binding'.

Method

Article 280: quasi-judicial, every five years; Chairman + four members.
Job: split central taxes between Centre and states (vertical) and among states (horizontal), grants-in-aid, and measures to augment state funds for local bodies.
Its recommendations are advisory — the government is not bound, though it normally follows them.

Try this

The Finance Commission is normally constituted once in —

Show solution

Every five years under Article 280; it is a quasi-judicial body with a Chairman and four members appointed by the President.

Type 4very common2 practice Q

Constitutional vs statutory vs executive bodies

How to spot it:

'Which of the following is a constitutional body', 'NITI Aayog was created by', 'which act created the CIC/NHRC/Lokpal', odd-one-out sets.

Method

Constitutional: EC, UPSC/SPSCs, CAG, Finance Commission, NCSC (338), NCBC (338B), Official Language Commission.
Statutory: CVC (2003), CIC (RTI 2005), NHRC (1993), Lokpal (2013), NGT (2010), NCW (1990 act).
Executive: NITI Aayog (Cabinet resolution, 1 Jan 2015) — the trap answer in odd-one-out questions.

Try this

Which one of the following is not a statutory body?

Show solution

NITI Aayog — it was set up by a Cabinet resolution on 1 January 2015; the CVC, CIC, NHRC and NGT all rest on statutes.

Type 5occasional2 practice Q

Rights commissions and special officers

How to spot it:

'NCSC is established under which Article', 'which body looks into linguistic minorities', 'the NCBC got constitutional status by which amendment'.

Method

NCSC — Article 338 (SCs and STs); the separate ST commission sits at Article 338A.
NCBC — Article 338B, constitutional status by the 102nd Amendment (2018); the 105th (2021) returned SEBC identification to states.
Special Officer for linguistic minorities — Article 350B; assesses safeguards for language minorities.

Try this

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was given constitutional status by —

Show solution

The 102nd Amendment Act, 2018, inserting Article 338B; the 105th Amendment (2021) restored the states' power to identify OBCs.

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ Article blocks for bodies

76-AG • 280-FC • 148-CAG • 315-UPSC • 324-EC. Descending ladder: 324 > 315 > 280 > 148 > 76 reads 'EC-UPSC-FC-CAG-AG'.

Example

Under which article is the Comptroller and Auditor General appointed?

Show solution

Article 148 (term: 6 years or age 65).

⚡ Statutory vs constitutional filter

If the source is a dated Act (1993 NHRC, 2003 CVC, 2005 CIC, 2013 Lokpal) it is statutory; if the source is an Article number it is constitutional; NITI Aayog (Cabinet resolution, 2015) is neither.

Example

Name one high-profile advisory body that is neither constitutional nor statutory.

Show solution

NITI Aayog.

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Calling NITI Aayog a statutory body — it is an executive-resolution body.

Mistake 02

Saying the 15th FC still governs transfers — from FY 2026-27 the 16th FC (41% share, 2026-31) applies.

Mistake 03

Confusing the CAG's examiners — CAG reports are examined by the Public Accounts Committee, not the Estimates Committee.

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

EC: multi-member since 1993 (CEC + 2 ECs); CEC removable like an SC judge; Art 324.
UPSC: Art 315; 6 years/65; expenses charged; state PSC members retire at 62.
CAG: Art 148; 'guardian of the public purse'; 6 years/65; no re-employment; reports → President/Governor → PAC scrutiny.
Finance Commission: Art 280; quasi-judicial; every 5 years; Chairman + 4; advice not binding.
Statutory vs constitutional: CVC/CIC/NHRC/Lokpal/NGT = statutory; NITI Aayog = executive resolution (2015).
NCSC Art 338; NCBC Art 338B (102nd Amendment); Special Officer linguistic minorities Art 350B.

Practice: 14 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 10 questions

Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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