What is a Statutory Body?

The word 'Statute' simply means a 'Law' passed by the parliament.

Therefore, a Statutory Body is a government organization or agency that is created by an Act of Parliament (or State Legislature).

• The parliament passes a specific law to create the body, defining its powers, budget, and functions.
• Examples:
  • SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) was created by the SEBI Act of 1992.
  • RBI (Reserve Bank of India) was created by the RBI Act of 1934.
  • NHRC (National Human Rights Commission).

This is a very important distinction:

• Constitutional Body: An organization that is specifically mentioned and created by the Constitution of India itself (written in 1950). To change its power, you have to amend the Constitution. (e.g., Election Commission, UPSC, Finance Commission).
• Statutory Body: An organization NOT mentioned in the Constitution. It is created later by the Parliament by passing a regular law to handle specific tasks (e.g., SEBI, UIDAI/Aadhaar).