Polity & Governance
Constitutional Bodies
GS Paper II
Constitutional Bodies — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of constitutional bodies: articles, appointment, tenure, removal and functions of ECI, UPSC, SPSC, Finance Commission, CAG, AG and national commissions.
SyllabusGS II · Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies
A last-week sheet on constitutional bodies. Most questions test one of four things: the article, who appoints, who removes, and what the body cannot do.
Article Map
| Article | Body |
|---|---|
| 76 | Attorney General of India |
| 148–151 | Comptroller and Auditor General |
| 165 | Advocate General of the State |
| 243K / 243ZA | State Election Commission (local bodies) |
| 243-I / 243Y | State Finance Commission |
| 279A | GST Council |
| 280 | Finance Commission |
| 315–323 | UPSC and State PSCs |
| 324 | Election Commission of India |
| 338 | National Commission for Scheduled Castes |
| 338A | National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (89th Amendment, 2003) |
| 338B | National Commission for Backward Classes (102nd Amendment, 2018) |
| 350B | Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities (7th Amendment, 1956) |
Appointment, Tenure, Removal
| Body | Appointed by | Term | Removal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEC | President | 6 yrs / 65 | Like a Supreme Court judge |
| Election Commissioner | President | 6 yrs / 65 | On CEC’s recommendation |
| CAG | President (warrant) | 6 yrs / 65 | Like a Supreme Court judge |
| UPSC member | President | 6 yrs / 65 | President (SC inquiry for misbehaviour) |
| State PSC member | Governor | 6 yrs / 62 | President |
| Attorney General | President | Pleasure | President |
| Advocate General | Governor | Pleasure | Governor |
| State Election Commissioner | Governor | As per State law | Like a High Court judge |
High-Yield Facts
Most-tested lines
- ECI set up 25 January 1950; multi-member since October 1993 (T.N. Seshan, 1995 upheld majority decisions).
- 2023 Act selection committee: Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM.
- UPSC Chairman: no further government employment (Article 319).
- UPSC is not consulted on reservations under Article 16(4) (Article 320(4)).
- Finance Commission: Chairman + four members; qualifications under the 1951 Act; report laid with explanatory memorandum (Article 281).
- CAG reports: Union → President; State → Governor (Article 151). PAC examines them.
- Attorney General: speaks in Parliament, no vote (Article 88).
Constitutional vs Not
| Constitutional | Statutory / Executive |
|---|---|
| ECI, UPSC, SPSC, Finance Commission, CAG, AG | NHRC, CVC, CIC, Lokpal (statutory) |
| NCSC, NCST, NCBC | NCW, NCM, NCPCR (statutory) |
| GST Council, Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities | NITI Aayog (executive) |
| — | Joint State PSC (created by Parliament’s law) |
| — | Solicitor General (not constitutional) |
Traps
- State PSC members: Governor appoints, President removes.
- Only the CEC has Supreme Court-judge-style protection — not the other Election Commissioners.
- The NCBC got constitutional status in 2018; it existed earlier as a statutory body (1993).
- Advice of UPSC and recommendations of the Finance Commission are not binding.
Related Topics
- Major Constitutional Bodies — main note
- Constitutional Bodies — practice questions
- Constitutional Bodies — overview
- Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-Judicial Bodies
- All quick revision sheets
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