Minimalist IAS
Polity & governance

Prelims · Polity & governance · 27 questions

Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodies

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodies questions per year: 2016: 2, 2017: 1, 2018: 1, 2019: 2, 2020: 0, 2021: 1, 2022: 2, 2023: 1, 2024: 1, 2025: 4, 2026: 2 Asked in 10 of 11 years · most in 2025 (4)

Practising Polity & governance? Take it as timed sets of 25 →

UPSC syllabus: “Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.” Sub-topics in the detailed syllabus →

भारत में दूरसंचार, बीमा, विद्युत् आदि जैसे क्षेत्रकों में स्वतंत्र नियामकों का पुनरीक्षण निम्नलिखित में से कौन करते/करती हैं?

  1. 1.संसद द्वारा गठित तदर्थ समितियाँ
  2. 2.संसदीय विभाग संबंधी स्थायी समितियाँ
  3. 3.वित्त आयोग
  4. 4.वित्तीय क्षेत्र विधायी सुधार आयोग
  5. 5.नीति (NITI) आयोग

नीचे दिए गए कूट का प्रयोग कर सही उत्तर चुनिए।

Read this question in English

In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.?

1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament

2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees

3. Finance Commission

4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

5. NITI Aayog

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 2 · (b) 1, 3 and 4 · (c) 3, 4 and 5 · (d) 2 and 5

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (a) 1 और 2

Parliament itself reviews the independent regulators, through its committees: ad hoc committees appointed for a specific inquiry, and the Departmentally Related Standing Committees that scrutinise ministries and their work. The Finance Commission, the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission and NITI Aayog have other jobs and do not review regulators.

  • ✓ 1. Ad hoc committees are appointed by Parliament from time to time to enquire into specific subjects, and can be set up to examine a regulator's working.
  • ✓ 2. Departmentally Related Standing Committees examine the annual reports, Bills and demands for grants of the ministries they cover, and PRS notes that parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committees on Health and on Energy have examined the working of regulators under those ministries.
  • ✗ 3. The Finance Commission's constitutional duty is to recommend how tax proceeds are shared between the Union and the States and the principles for grants-in-aid; supervising sectoral regulators is not its task.
  • ✗ 4. The Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission was set up on the Budget 2010-11 announcement to rewrite and harmonise financial-sector law; it was a law-reform commission, not a standing reviewer of regulators.
  • ✗ 5. NITI Aayog is the Government's policy think tank, formed by a Cabinet resolution of 1 January 2015 to replace the Planning Commission; it has no oversight role over regulators.

Remember · Independent regulators answer to Parliament through its committees (ad hoc and Departmentally Related Standing Committees), not through the Finance Commission, FSLRC or NITI Aayog.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Politics in India since Independence, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

सार्वजनिक क्षेत्रक बैंकों के अध्यक्षों का चयन कौन करता है?

Read this question in English

The Chairmen of public sector banks are selected by the

(a) Banks Board Bureau · (b) Reserve Bank of India · (c) Union Ministry of Finance · (d) Management of concerned bank

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (a) बैंक बोर्ड ब्यूरो

In 2019 the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was the body that recommended the selection of heads of public sector banks. The Government set it up as an autonomous body, functioning from 1 April 2016, to improve governance of public sector banks.

  • ✓ (a) The Government's announcement of the Bureau said it would recommend for selection of the heads of public sector banks and financial institutions, and help banks with strategy and capital-raising plans.
  • ✗ (b) The Reserve Bank of India regulates and supervises banks; it is not the selecting body for public sector bank heads. Its Deputy Governor was only one ex-officio member of the Bureau.
  • ✗ (c) The Ministry of Finance owns the banks, but the Bureau was created as an autonomous body so that selection would not rest with the Ministry alone.
  • ✗ (d) A bank's own management does not choose its chairman.
  • • Since then On 1 July 2022 the Government revamped the Banks Board Bureau into the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), which recommends whole-time directors and non-executive chairpersons for financial services institutions (Department of Financial Services).

Remember · Banks Board Bureau (from 1 April 2016) recommended heads of public sector banks; since July 2022 the Financial Services Institutions Bureau has taken over this role.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.पेट्रोलियम और प्राकृतिक गैस नियामक बोर्ड [पेट्रोलियम ऐंड नेचुरल गैस रेग्युलेटरि बोर्ड (PNGRB)] भारत सरकार द्वारा स्थापित प्रथम नियामक निकाय है।
  2. 2.PNGRB का एक कार्य गैस के लिए प्रतियोगी बाजारों को सुनिश्चित करना है।
  3. 3.PNGRB के निर्णयों के विरुद्ध अपील, विद्युत् अपील अधिकरण के समक्ष की जाती है।

उपर्युक्त में से कौन-से कथन सही हैं?

Read this question in English

Consider the following statements:

1. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is the first regulatory body set up by the Government of India.

2. One of the tasks of PNGRB is to ensure competitive markets for gas.

3. Appeals against the decisions of PNGRB go before the Appellate Tribunals for Electricity.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only · (b) 2 and 3 only · (c) 1 and 3 only · (d) 1, 2 and 3

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (b) केवल 2 और 3

Statements 2 and 3 are correct. The PNGRB Act, 2006 aims to promote competitive markets in petroleum and natural gas, and appeals against the Board's orders go to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity. PNGRB is not the first regulator set up by the Government: the Reserve Bank of India, for one, dates from 1935.

  • ✗ 1. The PNGRB Act was passed in 2006, whereas the Reserve Bank of India, a regulator of banking, was established on 1 April 1935. PNGRB is therefore far from the first regulatory body.
  • ✓ 2. The Act's stated purpose includes promoting competitive markets, and the Board's functions include protecting consumers by fostering fair trade and competition among entities and regulating pipeline access to ensure fair competition.
  • ✓ 3. Under section 30 of the PNGRB Act, the tribunal that hears appeals against Board orders is the same one that the Electricity Act, 2003 (section 110) created, now known as APTEL.

Remember · PNGRB (Act of 2006) regulates downstream petroleum and natural gas, promotes competitive markets, and its appeals go to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The Syllabus X-Ray of this topic

1 of its 10 sub-topics is Core

1 Core · 0 High · 5 Steady · 4 Rare

  • Core #9Regulators & statutory bodies · 12 questions

The X-Ray ranks all 928 sub-topics of the UPSC syllabus by what UPSC has asked since 2016. The 60 Prelims Core sub-topics are behind 51% of Prelims questions.

See the whole X-Ray →

The same topic in Mains

Read it in NCERT