🗞️ Why in News The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) completes 100 years on 1 October 2026: India’s first Public Service Commission was set up on 1 October 1926. The Commission opened its two-day centenary programme, “Manthan”, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 30 September, where Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar set out three guiding principles, Trust, Transparency and Technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the centenary celebrations on 1 October, the culmination of a year-long programme, and to release a commemorative coin, a stamp and a book on 100 landmark judgements shaping the Public Service Commissions.
A Century in Five Steps
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1919 | Government of India Act, 1919, Section 96(C), provides for a Public Service Commission |
| 1924 | The Lee Commission (Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Services in India) recommends that it be set up without delay |
| 1 October 1926 | The Public Service Commission is constituted, a Chairman and four Members, with largely advisory functions under the Public Service Commission (Functions) Rules, 1926; first Chairman Sir Ross Barker |
| 1937 | Under the Government of India Act, 1935, it becomes the Federal Public Service Commission; Provincial Public Service Commissions are also provided for |
| 26 January 1950 | With the Constitution, it becomes the Union Public Service Commission, a constitutional body |
The Constitutional Design: Part XIV, Articles 315 to 323
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 315 | A Public Service Commission for the Union and one for each State; Parliament may create a Joint State PSC for two or more States if their legislatures so resolve |
| 316 | Chairman and Members of the UPSC appointed by the President; term of six years or until the age of 65 (62 for a State PSC), whichever is earlier; half the Members must have held office under the Government for at least ten years |
| 317 | Removal by the President for misbehaviour only after an inquiry by the Supreme Court; also for insolvency, outside paid employment or infirmity |
| 318 | The President makes regulations on the number of Members and conditions of service; service conditions cannot be varied to a Member’s disadvantage after appointment |
| 319 | Bar on further employment: the UPSC Chairman is ineligible for any further employment under the Union or a State; a Member may become Chairman of the UPSC or of a State PSC |
| 320 | Functions: conduct examinations for appointment to the services of the Union; advise on methods of recruitment, promotions, transfers, disciplinary matters, claims for legal costs and pensions for injuries |
| 321 | Parliament may by law extend the functions of the UPSC |
| 322 | Expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund of India (not voted) |
| 323 | Annual report to the President, laid before Parliament with a memorandum explaining cases where the Commission’s advice was not accepted |
Advice, not command. The UPSC is an advisory body on most matters. The Government can depart from its advice, but must explain why to Parliament under Article 323. In State of U.P. v. Manbodhan Lal Srivastava (1957), the Supreme Court held that the consultation required by Article 320(3) is directory, not mandatory: a failure to consult does not by itself invalidate the government’s order.
What UPSC Does Today
From the Chairman’s address and the PIB release of 30 September:
- About 250 distinct recruitment processes a year, from engineering, medical and scientific posts to economics and defence; the examination calendar is prepared 18 months in advance.
- Advice on Recruitment Rules, promotions through Departmental Promotion Committees, induction into the All India Services and disciplinary cases. In 2023-24, it processed records of 24,581 officers for promotion; 532 officers were inducted into the All India Services.
- Technology: computers from 1978; a Universal Registration Number from 2025; randomised interview boards; a candidate helpdesk; and AI-based facial authentication, piloted in September 2025 and used at scale in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination of 24 May 2026 for about 5.50 lakh candidates, taking about six to eight seconds per candidate.
- New centres in 2026: Bhubaneswar, Kanpur and Meerut for the CSE (Prelims).
- Plans: a Centre of Excellence to share practices with State Public Service Commissions, and a compendium of 100 landmark judgements prepared with NALSAR, Hyderabad.
On examination design, the Chairman said candidates should be assessed for reasoning, spontaneous thinking and judgement under ambiguity, rather than their ability to reproduce predictable, coached model answers. He also said, as PIB reported, that the Commission must change what needs to change so that what must never change can be preserved.
The Reform Debates
| Issue | The debate |
|---|---|
| Examination pattern | Successive committees reviewed the Civil Services Examination: the Kothari Committee (1976) recommended the present three-stage structure; later reviews include the Satish Chandra (1989), Alagh (2001), Hota (2004) and Baswan (2016) committees |
| Integrity of examinations | Paper leaks in State recruitment and impersonation cases led Parliament to pass the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which covers UPSC examinations |
| Lateral entry | Recruitment of specialists at joint secretary and director level through the UPSC began in 2018; an advertisement in August 2024 was withdrawn after objections that it did not provide for reservation |
| Age and attempts | Whether younger entry and fewer attempts would produce better administrators, and how that would affect candidates from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds |
| State PSCs | Delays, litigation and leaks in many State commissions; the proposed Centre of Excellence aims at shared standards |
Analysis
1. Merit as a constitutional value. The PSCs exist to take recruitment out of patronage. Their independence comes from security of tenure, removal only after a Supreme Court inquiry, charged expenditure and the bar on post-retirement employment.
2. Trust is the asset. Each year, lakhs of candidates sit the Commission’s examinations. Its credibility rests on fair papers, secure conduct and transparent results, which is why facial authentication, published answer keys and grievance mechanisms matter as much as the syllabus.
3. The test of the next century. The Chairman’s emphasis on judgement over rote preparation recognises that coaching can game predictable papers. Assessing reasoning without making the examination arbitrary is the hard part.
4. Advice needs respect. The Article 323 memorandum is a weak check when Parliament seldom debates it. A stronger convention of explaining departures from UPSC advice would protect the Commission’s role.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 2. Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of constitutional bodies; role of civil services in a democracy. GS Paper 1. Modern Indian history (Lee Commission, Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935). GS Paper 4. Probity and integrity in public service; objectivity and impartiality.
A question worth preparing. “The Union Public Service Commission has been the guardian of the merit principle for a hundred years.” Discuss the constitutional safeguards for its independence and the reforms needed for the next century. (250 words)
The Mains framing. Trace the history (1919 Act, Lee Commission, 1926, 1935 Act, 1950). Explain Articles 315 to 323 and the safeguards of independence. Discuss its present functions and technology reforms. Take up the debates: examination pattern, integrity, lateral entry and State PSCs. Conclude with a stronger Article 323 convention, assessment of judgement over rote, and capacity-building for State PSCs.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Prelims, statement-ready facts:
- First Public Service Commission: 1 October 1926, under Section 96(C), Government of India Act 1919; Lee Commission 1924.
- First Chairman: Sir Ross Barker; Federal PSC under the Government of India Act 1935 (from 1937).
- Constitutional provisions: Part XIV, Articles 315 to 323; UPSC Chairman: Dr. Ajay Kumar.
- Tenure: six years or age 65 (UPSC), 62 (State PSC); appointment by the President (UPSC) and the Governor (State PSC).
- Expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund (Article 322); annual report to the President (Article 323).
- Facial authentication used at scale at CSE (Prelims) on 24 May 2026 for about 5.50 lakh candidates.
Prelims, the traps:
- State PSC members are appointed by the Governor but removable only by the President (Article 317).
- The UPSC Chairman is barred from further government employment; a UPSC Member may become UPSC or State PSC Chairman.
- A Joint State PSC is created by an Act of Parliament on the request of the State legislatures, not by the Constitution itself.
Mains, arguments and keywords:
- Merit principle; insulation from patronage; advisory role and Article 323; examination integrity; assessing judgement over rote; capacity of State PSCs.
Interview, be ready for:
- “Should the government be bound by UPSC advice on disciplinary matters?” Not bound, but departures should be rare, reasoned and placed before Parliament.
Sources: PIB, PM to attend UPSC Centenary (30 September 2026), PIB, UPSC Centenary “Manthan” (30 September 2026), UPSC, historical perspective, Constitution of India, Part XIV
Source: UPSC at 100: From the 1926 Public Service Commission to Articles 315-323, and the Reforms on the Table — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
