RAS question
NCW was established under:
Correct answer: (D) National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
The National Commission for Women is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
Explanation
The National Commission for Women is not a constitutional commission or an executive body; it is a statutory body created under a specific law, the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. India Code lists the short title as "The National Commission for Women Act, 1990" and describes its long title as an Act to constitute a National Commission for Women and provide for connected or incidental matters. That directly supports option D. The same India Code page places the Commission under Chapter II, "The National Commission for Women", and lists Section 3 as "Constitution of the National Commission for Women", confirming that the legal basis of the NCW is the Act itself.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The 73rd Amendment concerns constitutional changes on Panchayati Raj, whereas the NCW is grounded in the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
- (B) A constitutional provision is not the source here because the NCW is a statutory body, not a constitutional commission.
- (C) Executive order is wrong because India Code records a dedicated Act whose long title is to constitute the National Commission for Women.
Concept
This tests the distinction between constitutional, statutory and executive bodies in Indian polity. RAS repeatedly asks such bodies because the source of creation determines their legal status and institutional authority.