Hello, brilliant aspirants!
Our journey has been fantastic. We've mastered the three pillars of our democracy: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. But for a machine as vast as a country to run smoothly, you need independent umpires and guardians to ensure everyone plays by the rules.
Today, we'll explore these powerful and autonomous institutions known as Constitutional Bodies. These are bodies that draw their power and authority directly from the Constitution of India itself. For the SSC CGL exam, questions from this chapter are direct, factual, and very high-scoring.
Let's meet these watchdogs.
What Makes a Body "Constitutional"?
Simply put, a Constitutional Body is an institution whose creation is mentioned in the Constitution. Their powers, functions, and appointment procedures are laid out in specific articles, making them independent of the government of the day.
We'll focus on the three most important ones for your exam.
1. Election Commission of India (ECI)
The ECI is the guardian of free and fair elections in the country. From electing a village sarpanch to the President of India, the ECI ensures the democratic process remains pure.
Key Facts for Your SSC Notes: 📝
Article: Article 324 of the Constitution provides for an independent Election Commission.
Role: Responsible for conducting the elections of the President, Vice-President, Parliament, and State Legislatures.
Composition: It consists of one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners.
Appointment: They are appointed by the President of India.
Tenure (⭐ Exam Hotspot): They hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
2. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
The UPSC is India's central recruiting agency. It is responsible for conducting examinations for appointments to the All-India Services and central services, ensuring a merit-based bureaucracy.
Key Facts for Your SSC Notes: 📝
Articles: Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution deal with the UPSC.
Role: To conduct examinations for recruitment to services of the Union.
Composition: It consists of a chairman and other members.
Appointment: The chairman and members are appointed by the President of India.
Tenure (⭐ Exam Hotspot): They hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
3. Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)
The CAG is the guardian of the public purse. He audits all expenditure from the funds of the Central and State governments, ensuring that taxpayer money is spent correctly. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar called the CAG one of the most important officers under the Constitution.
Key Facts for Your SSC Notes: 📝
Article: Article 148 provides for an independent office of the CAG.
Role: To audit the accounts of the Union and the States. He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department.
Appointment: Appointed by the President of India.
Tenure (⭐ Exam Hotspot): Holds office for a term of six years or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Key Nickname: The CAG is often described as the "friend, philosopher, and guide" of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament.
Other Important Constitutional Bodies to Remember:
Finance Commission (Article 280): Recommends the distribution of financial resources between the Union and the States.
Attorney General of India (Article 76): The highest law officer in the country.
National Commission for SCs (Article 338), STs (Article 338-A), and BCs (Article 338-B).
These independent bodies are crucial for maintaining accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
We have now covered a significant portion of Indian Polity. With this strong foundation, what's next? In our upcoming posts, we will start exploring another high-yield subject for General Awareness: History, beginning with the Ancient period.
You are building an excellent knowledge base. Keep revising and stay consistent!
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