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).
