Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?National Development

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2013 UPSC Prelims Indian Polity & Governance paper.

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Question

Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?National Development CouncilPlanning CommissionZonal CouncilsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: D — 1, 2 and 3 (None of these three find mention in the Constitution)Step-by-step Solution:All three of these bodies are extra-constitutional — they were NOT created by or mentioned in the Constitution of India.1 — National Development Council (NDC): The NDC was established in 1952 by a Cabinet Resolution (executive order) — not through any constitutional provision or parliamentary legislation. It was a non-constitutional, non-statutory advisory body. No article of the Constitution mentions the NDC. ✓ (Not in Constitution)2 — Planning Commission: The Planning Commission was also established in 1950 by a Cabinet Resolution — similarly a non-constitutional, non-statutory executive body. No article of the Constitution mentions the Planning Commission. (It was dissolved in 2014 and replaced by NITI Aayog, also through an executive order). ✓ (Not in Constitution)3 — Zonal Councils: This is the most surprising part of the answer for many students. Zonal Councils were established under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 — a Parliamentary legislation, not through the Constitution. While they are statutory bodies (created by Parliament's law), they are NOT mentioned in the Constitution. The Constitution mentions the Finance Commission (Article 280), Election Commission (Article 324), CAG (Article 148), etc. — but Zonal Councils are NOT in the Constitution. ✓ (Not in Constitution)Key Concept: Distinction between Constitutional bodies (mentioned in Constitution), Statutory bodies (created by Parliament/State legislation), and Extra-Constitutional/Non-statutory bodies (created by executive order). Constitutional bodies: President, Vice President, PM, Parliament, SC, HC, CAG, UPSC, Election Commission, Finance Commission, AG, etc. Statutory bodies (Parliament): NALSA, NHRC, NCSC, NCW, UGC, SEBI, TRAI, CCI, NTA, Zonal Councils, etc. Non-statutory/extra-constitutional (executive order): NDC, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, National Integration Council, Central Vigilance Commission (before 2003 it was executive, now statutory under CVC Act), Interstate Council (Article 263 provides for it, but it was created by executive order). Zonal Councils: 5 councils (Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern) + North-Eastern Council (separate — created by different act); advisory bodies for inter-state coordination on economic/social development, border disputes, linguistic minorities; Ministry of Home Affairs handles secretariat; chaired by Union Home Minister.

Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?National Development CouncilPlanning CommissionZonal CouncilsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below:

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Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?National Development CouncilPlanning CommissionZonal CouncilsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below:

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More Questions from Non-Constitutional Bodies – NITI Aayog, CBI, NHC etc.

Frequently Asked Questions