UPSC 2020 preparation strategy
Your UPSC 2020 preparation strategy should involve the plan for prelims as well
as mains. The following topics are included in both prelims and mains.
Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act: Representation of People
Act includes qualification of voters, delimitation of constituencies, preparation of
electoral rolls and allocation of seats in the Parliament and state legislatures.
It consists of 13 parts (2 parts added as amendments).
Each part is divided into different sections taking the total to 171 numbered sections.
A provisional parliament has been mentioned in Article 21 of the Indian constitution.
The provisional Parliament enacted the Representation of People’s Act 1951 to
conduct general elections according to the rules mentioned.
Expressions that are not used in the 1951 act, but are listed in Representation of the
People Act 1950 (43 of 1950) shall have the same meaning.
Chief Electoral Officer is mentioned in section 13A whereas Corrupt practices are
mentioned in section 123.
Election means appointment to fill seats in either House of the Legislature of a State.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts: The major constitutional bodies set up
under the Constitution of India are-
UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
State Public Service Commission
Joint State Public Service Commission
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Election Commission of India
Finance Commission of India
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
National Commission for Scheduled Tribe
Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
These Constitutional bodies are formed under detailed instructions given in the
Constitution.
It is compulsory for the government to set up such a body and it cannot
shut it down easily when it becomes uncomfortable.
These bodies cannot be eliminated without amending that part of the Constitution which sometimes also requires the consent of the states.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies: A statutory body is not
demarcated in Constitution of India and gets its powers, authority and service rules
by an act of parliament or state legislatures. The statutory bodies include University
Grant Commission, Armed Forces Tribunal, National Human Rights Commission,
National Commission for Women, National Commission for Minorities, National
Commission for Backward Classes, National Law Commission, National Green
Tribunal and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
The regulatory bodies are accountable for exercising authority over some area of
human activity.
The regulatory bodies are Reserve Bank of India, Advertising Standards Council of
India, Competition Commission of India, Biodiversity authority of India, Press council
of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Forward Markets Commission,
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, Inland Waterways Authority of
India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Telecom Disputes Settlement and
Appellate Tribunal, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, The Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Central pollution control board, Financial
Stability and Development Council, Medical Council of India and Pension fund
regulatory and development authority.
Quasi-judicial bodies have powers similar to law imposing bodies but these are not
courts. The quasi-judicial bodies are National Human Rights Commission, State
Human Rights Commission, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission,
Central Information Commission, State Information Commission, State Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum,
Competition Commission of India, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, State Electricity
Regulatory Commission, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Intellectual Property
Appellate Tribunal, Central Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, Banking
Ombudsman, Railway Claims Tribunal, Insurance Ombudsman, Income tax
Ombudsman, Electricity Ombudsman and State Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal.
UPSC online form will be released in February which gives you ample to prepare
your strategy.