Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India
A Quasi-Judicial body comprises powers and procedures like a court of law or judge. Some of
the significant features of Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India are as follows:
• Powers - They have capabilities similar to the law imposing bodies. Their primary role is
to impose laws on administrative agencies.
• Expertise - A judge does not head them; instead, experts in sectors like Economics,
Law, Finance, etc., are also included.
• Purpose - Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India are created for particular reasons; for example,
the National river water dispute tribunal was created to award water sharing among
disputing states. The Central Administrative Tribunal is made to solve the issues related
to civil servants, etc.
Authorities that Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India Possess
The authority of Quasi-Judicial bodies is restricted to certain areas only, which comprises of-
• Financial markets
• Public standards
• Land use and zoning
• The specific set of regulations of an agency
• Employment law
List of Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India
Below is the list of Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India;
• National Human Rights Commission
• Central Information Commission
• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
• District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum
• Appellate Tribunal for Electricity
• Railway Claims Tribunal
• Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal
• Banking Ombudsman
• Income tax Ombudsman
• State Sales tax Appellate Tribunal
There are various advantages of setting up Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India - they have low-cost
compared to the conventional judicial process, straightforward procedures, and experts in the
panel who can understand the technicalities of the case easily and take the required actions
quickly. Plus, it helps reduce the workload of the Judiciary.
Types of Government Bodies in India
India comprises multiple types of government bodies. The major ones are Constitutional bodies,
Statutory bodies, Executive bodies, and Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India. Let us understand them
in detail.
• Constitutional Bodies: Constitutional bodies get their power and control from the
Indian Constitution. They have dedicated articles in the Constitution of India, and any
amendments in the functioning of constitution bodies will need a constitutional change.
Some well-known constitutional bodies are the UPSC, the Finance Commission, the
CAG, etc.
• Statutory Bodies: They are created by the acts that State Legislatures and Parliament
can pass. Statutory Bodies get power from a statute such as National Human Rights
Commission, National Investigation Agency, National Law Commission, Armed Forces
Tribunal, etc.
• Regulatory Bodies: They are public or government agencies liable for employing
sovereign authority over a particular area of human activity in a supervisory capacity.
They are Non-Constitutional bodies because they are not cited anywhere in the
Constitution of India. But this does not mean they are not necessary; in fact, regulatory
bodies are created by passing an act of parliament. They majorly execute security and
norms.
• Executive bodies: Executive bodies are also called Non-Constitutional bodies because
they are not mentioned in the Constitution of India. The Act of Parliament does not
create executive bodies; instead, they are formed by the government's action only, so
they are called Non-Statutory bodies.
There are majorly two judicial bodies: the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of India.
They are the courts in India, and their main motive is to ensure righteousness by obeying the
law.
