Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Statutory
Required, permitted, or created by law (statute); having legal force through an Act of Parliament or legislature, as distinct from constitutional (which derives from the Constitution) or contractual authority
Latin statutum (established by law), from statuere (to set up, to establish)
"The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, with quasi-judicial powers to adjudicate disputes related to access to biological resources and benefit-sharing."
Essential distinction for GS2 (Polity, types of bodies, Parliament, governance). Key distinction: Constitutional body (UPSC, CAG, EC) vs Statutory body (TRAI, NBA, CCI, NCPCR) vs Executive body (NITI Aayog, NIC). Statutory bodies are created by an Act of Parliament, they cannot be dissolved by executive order alone; Parliament must amend or repeal the enabling Act. Examples in news: NBA (Biological Diversity Act), TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act), NCPCR (Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act), CCI (Competition Act).
