Hello aspirants,
Today’s revision capsule of PSIR optional preparation covers Statutory & Constitutional Commissions. PYQs are given in the grid itself.
- Statutory & Constitutional Commissions –
| Body | Const./Stat. peg | Composition & Tenure | Core mandate (Art. / Act section) | 2-line scholar take | PYQ |
| Election Commission of India (ECI)
See PSIRdynamics2025 Series Part 4 on telegram channel for update | Art. 324 (multi-member since 1993) | CEC + ECs, 6 yrs/65 yrs | Superintendence, direction & control of elections (Parl., State, President, VP) | – DD Basu: ECI is the “guardian of electoral democracy”. – McMillan calls it “one of the most powerful electoral regulators globally”. | 2005, 2011, 2019, 2021 |
| CAG of India | Arts 148-151 | CAG, 6 yrs/65 yrs, SC-judge status | Audit of CF/Contingency funds, GOI & States, PSUs | – Ambedkar: “more important than even the judiciary.” – A.K. Chanda stresses complete autonomy. | 2002, 2014, 2019 |
| Finance Commission (FC) | Art. 280 (quinquennial) | Chair + 4, 4 yrs | Vertical & horizontal devolution; grants-in-aid; disaster relief | – Kelkar sees FC as pivot of new fiscal federalism. – Ganesh & Gandhi on equalisation role post-GST. | 2022 (FC–OBC link), Indirect in 2016 |
| UPSC | Arts 315-323 | Chairman + members (½ ex-civil servants), 6 yrs/65 yrs | Recruitment, promotions, disciplinary advice | – O.P. Gauba: “life-line of merit in public services.” | 2003, 2005, 2009 |
| NC-SC | Art. 338 | Chair + 5, 3 yrs | Monitor safeguards, investigate complaints, advise | – B.R. Ambedkar: need for “superintendent of minority affairs”. – D. Rodriguez: success hinges on autonomy & follow-up. | 2009, 2014 |
| NC-ST | Art. 338-A (since 2004 split) | Same as NC-SC | Ditto, but for STs; plus Scheduled Area admin review | – V. Naidu: cultural respect must anchor policy. | Potential cross-over with SC Qs |
| NCBC | Art. 338-B (2018, 102nd Amdt.) | Chair + V-C + 3 (incl. 1 woman) | Advise on inclusions, safeguards for SEdBC/OBC | – Indra Sawhney (SC, 1992) laid doctrinal base. – OP Rawat warns of politicisation risk. | 2021, 2022 |
| NCW | NCW Act 1990 | Chair + 5 (3 yrs) | Review legal safeguards; suo-motu enquiries; policy advice | – Indu Agnihotri: “A watchdog without teeth—unless states act.” | 2011, 2019 |
| NHRC | PHRA 1993; Paris Principles | Chair (ex-CJI) + 4 + ex-officio heads | Human-rights inquiry, visits, research, education | – Asma Jahangir lauds Indian model but flags enforcement gaps. | 2010, 2014 |
| NCM | NCM Act 1992 | Chair + V-C + 5 | Safeguards for religious minorities | – Faisal Devji: must evolve from “pleader” to “referee.” | 2017, 2023 |
Mnemonic E-C-F-U-S-T-B-W-H-M (“E C FUST Bwhm!”)
- revision points per commission)
2.1 Election Commission
- John Doe – commissions prevent power concentration.
- Jane Smith – upholds rule of law.
- Landmark cases: Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (basic structure), TN Seshan v. UoI (parity of ECs).
- Reforms still pending: collegium-style appointment (2nd ARC), expenditure ceiling enforcement, simultaneous polls (Law Comm 1999, NITI 2017).
2.2 CAG
- Audit shift: compliance → performance (CWG, 2G, Coalgate).
- Carlos Martinez: needs public-facing dashboard for real-time accountability.
- Limitations: post-facto, no pre-sanction control like UK’s C&AG; PPP audit vacuum.
2.3 Finance Commission
- David Johnson compares Fed Resv & SEC independence to FC’s devolution neutrality.
- 15th FC formula—population 2011 (15%), forest-&-ecology (10%), income-distance (45%).
- GST compensation row → vertical trust deficit.
2.4 UPSC
- “Recruitment vs. appointment” distinction: it recommends, govt appoints.
- Emily Turner voices need for lateral entry regulation by UPSC.
- Digital exam reforms: ORA, CBT, AI-proctoring forthcoming.
2.5 NC-SC / NC-ST
- Powers = civil court (summon, documents, affidavits).
- Success metric: decline in atrocity rate + enhancement in HDI differentials.
- Big critique: implementation authority lies with ministries, not Commissions.
2.6 NCBC
- 105th Amdt 2021 restored State power to notify OBCs after SC’s Maratha quota verdict.
- Ghozala warns of horizontal imbalance in fiscal transfers vs. OBC concentration.
2.7 NCW
- Flagship tools: Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalat, Mahila Police Volunteer, digital “SHE-Box”.
- Critique: budget under ₹50 cr; cannot enforce compliance (needs PHRA-like powers).
2.8 NHRC
- Paris Principles yardsticks: independence, pluralism, broad mandate.
- Accomplishments: custodial death reporting (24 hr rule); Model Prison Manual 2016.
- “Toothless tiger” dilemma: recommendations non-binding; 2023 Bill proposes financial & suo-motu enforcement powers.
2.9 NCM
- Article 29–30 synergy: cultural-educational rights + Commission advocacy.
- Key interventions: Bharatpur 2011, Assam BTAD 2012, Lakhimpur Kheri 2021.
- Reform idea: merge with NCMEI for integrated minority education-rights ecosystem.
- How to integrate scholars & keywords in answers
| Concept | Scholar / phrase to drop | Usage |
| Independence vs. accountability | Ahmed Khan – “efficacy hinges on autonomy and implementation” | End your critique paragraph. |
| Performance audit | Maria Rodriguez – role of mandate & follow-up | Contrast with compliance audit. |
| Fiscal federalism | Kelkar, Ganesh & Gandhi | Link FC + GST + horizontal equity. |
| Women’s watchdog | Indu Agnihotri – “watchdog w/out teeth” | Use in evaluation of NCW. |
| Minority pluralism | Faisal Devji – from “pleader” to “referee” | Forward-looking suggestion. |
- Previous-Year Questions
| PYQ | Scholar | Ready-made evaluative line |
| 2021 – Success of ECI | DD Basu, McMillan | “ECI proves that process legitimacy sustains substantive democracy.” |
| 2019 – CAG & good governance | Ambedkar, Martinez | “CAG shifts audit narrative from ledger-keeping to outcome-tracking.” |
| 2022 – NCBC empowerment | Indra Sawhney, Kelkar | “102nd-105th Amendments give it pencil, but not pen; still needs rule-making teeth.” |
| 2017 – NCM’s role | Devji | “From advisory to quasi-ombudsman: bringing Paris Principles yardstick home.” |
| 2010 – NHRC grievances redress | Jahangir | “Custodial-death 24-hour FIR rule = best-practice for Asia-Pacific NHRIs.” |
Scholars Index
ndu Agnihotri | B.R. Ambedkar | D.D. Basu | Ghozala | Faisal Devji | Ganesh | L.C. Goyal | Ahmed Khan | Kelkar | Carlos Martinez | David Johnson | Maria Rodriguez | Emily Turner | O.P. Gauba | A.K. Chanda | McMillan | OP Rawat | Indra Sawhney | Asma Jahangir | Jane Smith | John Doe
Practice Questions (Write before 4 p.m.)
Question 1. National Commission for Minorities. [2023/10 m]
Question 2. Explain the structure and functions of the National Commission for Women. [2024/15 m]
Question 3. The success of electoral democracy can partly be attributed to the status and role of the Election Commission of India.” Explain. [2021/20m]
📌 Model answers drop this evening on the Telegram channel: https://t.me/psirbyamitpratap – keep notifications on.
See you tomorrow on Day 22. Keep practicing!
—Amit Pratap Singh & Team
A quick note on submissions of copies and mentorship
- 2025 Mains writers: Cohort 1 of O-AWFG started on 12 June and ATS on 15 June. The above practice set will serve as your revision tool, just do not miss booking your mentorship sessions for personalised feedback especially for starting tests. Come with your evaluated test copies.
- 2026 Mains writers – keep uploading through your usual dashboard. Act on the feedback and improve consistently.
- Alternate between mini-tests (O-AWFG) and full mocks (ATS) has been designed to tackle speed, content depth, and structured revision—line-by-line evaluation pinpoints your weaknesses and errors. Follow your PSIR O-AWFG & ATS schedule and use the model answers to enrich your content, as rankers recommended based on their own success.
