Constitutional Bodies
Constitutional bodies for UPSC: Election Commission, UPSC and SPSCs, Finance Commission, CAG, Attorney General, NCSC, NCST, NCBC and GST Council — appointment, tenure, removal, functions.
SyllabusGS II · Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies
A constitutional body is one created by the Constitution itself, so its existence and core safeguards cannot be changed by an ordinary law. This chapter studies the bodies that guard India’s elections, recruitment, public money and vulnerable groups — and the design features that keep them independent.
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: the article for each body, who appoints and who removes, tenure and age limits, post-retirement bars, and the constitutional-vs-statutory distinction (a perennial trap).
- Mains GS II: independence of the Election Commission after Anoop Baranwal (2023) and the 2023 Act, the CAG’s role in accountability, the advisory nature of UPSC advice, and whether commissions for SCs, STs and backward classes are effective.
Key bodies
| Body | Article(s) |
|---|---|
| Election Commission of India | 324 |
| Union and State Public Service Commissions | 315–323 |
| Finance Commission | 280 |
| GST Council | 279A |
| Comptroller and Auditor General | 148–151 |
| Attorney General / Advocate General | 76 / 165 |
| National Commission for Scheduled Castes | 338 |
| National Commission for Scheduled Tribes | 338A |
| National Commission for Backward Classes | 338B |
| Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities | 350B |
Start with Major Constitutional Bodies, then the quick revision sheet and the practice questions. For bodies created by ordinary law, see Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-Judicial Bodies.