Previous Year Question

Among the four bodies, only the National Commission for Backward Classes is a constitutional body.

The National Commission for Backward Classes is a constitutional body. Article 338B, inserted by the Constitution (One Hundred and Second Amendment) Act, 2018, granted constitutional status to the Commission. Before this amendment, it was a statutory body under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.

Under Article 338B, the Commission consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and three other Members. Its principal functions include investigating constitutional and legal safeguards for socially and educationally backward classes, examining specific complaints and advising the Government on their socio-economic development.

The National Human Rights Commission is a statutory rather than constitutional body. It was established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Its functions include inquiring into human-rights violations, inspecting prisons and detention institutions, reviewing safeguards for human rights and making recommendations to the Government.

The Law Commission of India is neither a constitutional nor a statutory body. It is an executive body constituted periodically by the Union Government through a notification or executive order. It reviews laws and recommends legal reforms. Its reports are recommendatory and are not binding upon the Government.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission is a statutory quasi-judicial body. It was originally established under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Its present legal basis is the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It functions as the national-level commission in the three-tier consumer-dispute redressal mechanism.

The nature of these bodies is as follows: