Constitutional & Non-Constitutional Bodies

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

• Articles 315–323, Part XIV.
• Independent Constitutional body; “Watchdog of Merit System”.
• Composition: President ke discretion me.
• Qualification: Half of members must have held Government office for 10 years.
• Term: 6 years or until 65 years.
• Recruitment: All India Services and Central Services.
• Source page 3: Chairman of UPSC — Dr. Ajay Kumar (as of Dec 2025).

President removal grounds: insolvent; office of profit; infirmity of mind/body; misbehaviour as recommended by SC through enquiry board.

State Public Service Commission (SPSC)

• Articles 315–323, Part XIV.
• Same structure as UPSC.
• Term: 6 years or until 62 years.
• Half members: Government office for 10 years.
• Recruitment: State Services.
• Appointed by: Governor of State.
• Removal: same as UPSC — source.

Finance Commission (FC) — Article 280

• Quasi-judicial body.
• Composition: Chairman + 4 members.
• President every 5 years constitute karta hai.
• Constitution Parliament ko members ki qualifications determine karne authorize karta hai.

Qualifications: Chairman experienced in public affairs; members may include HC judge/person qualified as HC judge, and persons with special knowledge of government finance/accounts/economics. Members re-appointment ke eligible.

Source Commission Facts

• 1st FC (1951): K. C. Neogy
• 14th FC: Y. V. Reddy
• 15th FC: N. K. Singh
• 16th FC: Arvind Panagariya
• Members: Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Manoj Panda, Soumya Kanti Ghosh (Part-time).

Articles

280: Defines Finance Commission.

281: Submission of recommendations of FC.

GST Council — Article 279A

• Inserted via 101st CAA, 2016.
• Joint forum of Centre & State.
• Chairperson: Union Finance Minister.
• Union Revenue Secretary acts as ex-officio Secretary to Council.
• Source: recommends to President on net proceeds of taxes shared between Centre & State; recommendations not binding.

National Commission for SCs & STs

• SCs — Article 338.
• STs — Article 338A.
• Composition: Chairperson + Vice-Chairperson + 3 other members.
• All members appointed by President.

Originally Article 338 provided Special Officer for SCs/STs. Source: 65th CAA, 1990 replaced it with multi-member National Commission. 89th CAA, 2003 bifurcated into NCSC (338) and NCST (338A).

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)

Article 338B

• Established in 1993.
• Originally statutory body.
• Mandal Case, 1992: SC directed Central Government to constitute permanent statutory body for Backward Class.
• Source states 102nd Amendment Act of 2018 conferred constitutional status and added Article 338B.

Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities

Part XVII • Article 350B

• Inserted via 7th Amendment Act, 1956.
• Appointed by President.
• Article 350A: adequate facilities at primary level education in mother tongue to children belonging to linguistic minority groups.

Office, appointment, removal, salary and other conditions of service.

Duties and powers of CAG.

Form of accounts of Union and States.

Audit reports must be submitted to President.

Attorney General of India — Article 76

• Highest Law Officer of India.
• Appointed by President.
• Qualification: eligible to become a Supreme Court Judge.
• Assisted by Solicitor General; source notes Solicitor General is not a constitutional body.

Advocate General of India — Article 165

• Appointed by Governor.
• Qualification: eligible for a High Court Judge.
• Advises State Government in legal matters referred by Governor.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

• Established under Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• Composition: Chairperson (Retired CJI or SC Judge) + 5 full-time members — source.
• Appointed by President based on 6-member committee recommendation.
• Members eligible for re-appointment after term.
• Tenure: 3 years or 70 years of age.
• “Watchdog of Human Rights”.
• Source page 6: Current Chairperson — Justice V. Ramasubramanian.

State Human Rights Commission

• Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• Chairperson (Retired CJI or HC Judge) + 5 full-time members — source.
• Appointed by Governor based on 6-member committee recommendation.
• Removal by President.
• Tenure: 3 years or 70 years.
• Members eligible for re-appointment after term.

Chief Information Commission (CIC)

• Established in 2005 under Right to Information Act, 2005.
• Tenure: 5 years or 65 years of age — source.
• Not eligible for re-appointment under Central/State Government — source.
• Source current Chief: Heeralal Samariya.

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)

• Established: 1964 by Executive Resolution.
• Initial status: neither constitutional nor statutory.
• Statutory status granted in 2003.
• Recommended by Santhanam Committee.
• Appointed & removed by President.
• Source current Chairman: Praveen Kumar Srivastava (Dec 2025).

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

• Established: 1963 by Executive Resolution.
• Derives power from Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
• Executive body.
• Recommended by Santhanam Committee.

Law Commission of India

• Status: Executive body.
• 1st Law Commission (Pre-Independence): 1834, headed by Lord Macaulay.
• 1st Law Commission (Post-Independence): 1955.
• 1st Law Commissioner: M. C. Setalvad (Post-Independence).
• Function: Legal reform advisory.

Lokpal and Lokayuktas

• Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
• Status: Statutory body.
• Lokpal: Centre; Lokayukta: States.
• 1st Chairperson: Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
• Source current Chairperson: Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar.

Composition: Chairperson (Retd. CJI or SC Judge) + maximum 8 members; 50% judicial members + 50% from SC, ST, OBC, minorities and women — source.

NITI Aayog

• Formed on 1 Jan 2015; replaced Planning Commission.
• Status: Executive body.
• Chairman: Prime Minister.
• Governing Council: CMs of all States + Lt. Governors of UTs — source.
• CEO: BVR Subrahmanyam.
• Vice Chairman: Suman K. Bery.
• Advisory think tank to Government.

Publishes: SDG India Index; National Multidimensional Poverty Index; India Innovation Index.

National Commission for Women (NCW)

• Established on 31 January 1992 under NCW Act, 1990.
• Source current Chairperson: Smt. Vijaya K. Rahatkar.

Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)

• Established: 1985.
• Domain: service disputes of government employees.
• Function: promotion, transfer, termination and other service matters disputes.

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT)

• Established: 1941.
• Domain: income tax and direct tax disputes.
• Function: disputes under Income Tax Act.

National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)

• Established: 2016.
• Domain: company law, insolvency, restructuring.
• Function: company disputes and insolvency cases.

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

• Established: 2010 under NGT Act, 2010.
• Domain: environmental protection, pollution, natural resources.
• Function: rapid settlement of environmental damage/pollution disputes; environmental justice.

Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT)

• Established: 2007.
• Domain: Army, Navy and Air Force personnel service disputes.
• Function: service-related matters of armed forces personnel.

Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)

• Domain: appeals against SEBI orders.
• Function: securities and capital market disputes.

Article Map

76 AGI • 148–151 CAG • 165 Advocate General • 279A GST Council • 280–281 Finance Commission • 315–323 PSCs • 324–329 ECI • 338 NCSC • 338A NCST • 338B NCBC • 350B Linguistic Minorities.

Age / Tenure Trap

ECI: 6 yrs / 65 • UPSC: 6 yrs / 65 • SPSC: 6 yrs / 62 • CAG: 6 yrs / 65 • NHRC/SHRC source: 3 yrs / 70 • CIC source: 5 yrs / 65.

Key Amendments

61st Amendment 1988 → voting age 18 • 65th CAA 1990 → multi-member SC/ST Commission • 89th CAA 2003 → NCSC/NCST bifurcation • 101st CAA 2016 → GST Council • source: 102nd Amendment Act 2018 → NCBC constitutional status.

High-Yield Dates

Finance Commission 1951 • CBI 1963 • CVC 1964 • NHRC Act 1993 • NCBC 1993 • CIC 2005 • NGT 2010 • Lokpal Act 2013 • NITI Aayog 1 Jan 2015 • NCLT 2016.