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Glossary
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| UPSC | Constitutional body (Art. 315) for civil service recruitment and advice | Recruitment, promotions |
| SPSC | State-level equivalent of UPSC under Art. 315 | Art. 315 5-mark |
| Election Commission | Art. 324 — superintends, directs, controls elections | Free & fair elections |
| Model Code of Conduct | ECI-enforced rules during elections; non-statutory but binding | ECI powers |
| CAG | Art. 148 — supreme audit authority; "guardian of public purse" | Audit, PAC |
| PAC | Parliamentary committee that examines CAG reports | Post-audit control |
| Finance Commission | Art. 280 — recommends Centre–State tax distribution | Fiscal federalism |
| Divisible Pool | Central taxes shared between Centre and States per Finance Commission | 41%/42% data |
| Vertical Devolution | Centre to States tax share; decided by Finance Commission | Fiscal federalism |
| Horizontal Devolution | Distribution among States; uses population, income, area criteria | Finance Commission |
| Lokpal | Statutory ombudsman (2013 Act) for corruption by PM, Ministers, MPs | Anti-corruption |
| Ombudsman | Independent official who investigates public complaints against government | Accountability |
| NITI Aayog | Executive think-tank (2015); replaced Planning Commission; PM chairs | Cooperative federalism |
| Planning Commission | 1950–2014; made Five-Year Plans; allocated plan funds | Replaced by NITI |
| Cooperative Federalism | Model of Centre–State partnership; NITI Aayog's stated approach | NITI Aayog |
| Appropriation Audit | CAG check: actual spending matches Parliament-voted grants | CAG functions |
| Performance Audit | CAG assessment of whether public money achieved intended outcomes | CAG |
| Article 317 | Grounds and procedure for removal of UPSC Chairman/members | UPSC independence |
| Article 319 | UPSC members ineligible for further government employment | Independence |
| Suo Motu | On one's own initiative without a complaint; Lokpal lacks this power | Lokpal limitation |
| Lateral Entry | Appointment of specialists to senior civil service posts bypassing UPSC | Personnel reform |
| 2nd ARC | 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (2005–08); Moily; recommended Lokpal | Reforms |
| EVM | Electronic Voting Machine; used nationwide since 2004 general elections | ECI |
| VVPAT | Paper slip confirming vote cast; added to EVMs 2013 | ECI verification |
| Charged Expenditure | Expenditure charged to Consolidated Fund; not subject to Parliament vote | CAG, SC salaries |
Sources: Constitution of India (Articles 148, 280, 315–324); CAG Act 1971; Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013; Finance Commission Reports (14th and 15th); NITI Aayog Cabinet Resolution 2015; Chief Election Commissioner Act 2023; RPSC Mains PYQs 2016–2023; 2nd ARC Reports (2005–08); Avasthi & Maheshwari, Public Administration; Laxmikanth, Indian Polity.