Which Article of the Indian Constitution describe the Central Vigilance Commission ?
- (a)Article 268
- (b)Article 280
- (c)Article 276
- (d)None of the above
Correct — D, None of the above. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is NOT a constitutional body — no Article of the Constitution mentions or describes it. It was created in 1964 by an executive resolution of the Government of India on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee, and was given statutory status by the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. The three Articles offered deal with unrelated fiscal matters, so the correct choice is 'None of the above'.
- (a)Article 268 — Article 268 covers 'duties levied by the Union but collected and appropriated by the States' (e.g., stamp duties) — nothing to do with the CVC.
- (b)Article 280 — Article 280 provides for the Finance Commission, not the CVC.
- (c)Article 276 — Article 276 deals with taxes on professions, trades, callings and employments — not the CVC.
Bodies are constitutional if an Article of the Constitution creates them (e.g., Election Commission — Art 324, UPSC — Art 315, Finance Commission — Art 280, CAG — Art 148). Statutory bodies are created by an ordinary Act of Parliament. The CVC belongs to the second category — set up by executive resolution in 1964 and made statutory by the CVC Act, 2003 — so no Article describes it.
The trap is expecting every 'Commission' to have a constitutional Article. Recall the CVC's origin (executive resolution 1964, statutory 2003) and you eliminate all three fiscal Articles, leaving 'None of the above'.
- CVC set up in 1964 on the Santhanam Committee's recommendation via an executive resolution; statutory since the CVC Act, 2003
- It is the apex integrity/anti-corruption watchdog — a multi-member body (Central Vigilance Commissioner + up to two Vigilance Commissioners)
- The CVC is a statutory, not a constitutional, body — no Article of the Constitution describes it
- Contrast: Election Commission (Art 324), UPSC (Art 315), Finance Commission (Art 280) and CAG (Art 148) are constitutional bodies
Answer (d): unlike the constitutional bodies above, the CVC is statutory — no Article of the Constitution describes it.
- Assuming the CVC is a constitutional body
- Confusing the CVC (statutory) with the CAG (constitutional, Art 148)
- Picking a random fiscal Article (268/276/280) that has nothing to do with the CVC
UPSC and UPPSC test 'constitutional vs statutory body' and body↔Article mapping — CVC, NHRC, CIC and Lokpal are statutory (no Article), while EC, UPSC, FC and CAG are constitutional.
Which one among the following commissions was set up in pursuance of a definite provision under an Article of the Constitution of India?
- (a) University Grants Commission
- (b) National Human Rights Commission
- (c) Election Commission
- (d) Central Vigilance Commission
Answer(c) Election Commission
Directly on point — the CVC is one of the options there and is NOT set up under any constitutional Article; only the Election Commission (Art 324) is. Same idea: the CVC is statutory, not constitutional.
Assertion (A): The word 'minority' is not defined in the Constitution of India. Reason (R): The Minorities Commission is not a constitutional body.
- (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
- (c) A is true but R is false
- (d) A is false but R is true
Answer(b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
Reinforces the statutory-vs-constitutional distinction — a commission created by statute is not a constitutional body, exactly the CVC's situation in this 2020 question.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Central Vigilance Commission was accorded statutory status by
- (a)the CVC Act, 2003
- (b)the RTI Act, 2005
- (c)the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
- (d)a constitutional amendment
Answer(a) the CVC Act, 2003 — before that it was a body set up by executive resolution (1964).
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a constitutional body?
- (a)Central Vigilance Commission
- (b)National Human Rights Commission
- (c)Union Public Service Commission
- (d)Central Information Commission
Answer(c) Union Public Service Commission — established under Article 315.