NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on October 1, marking 100 years of the country’s premier civil services recruitment body.
Modi will address the gathering at 11 am and release a commemorative coin, stamp and a book titled ‘100 Landmark Judgements- Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India’, according to an official statement.
The event will conclude a year-long programme marking the UPSC’s centenary, which began on October 1 last year. The two-day celebrations, being held on September 30 and October 1, will bring together members of State Public Service Commissions, senior government officials, academicians and UPSC officials.
The first day of the programme features ‘Shatabdi Samaroh - Manthan’, comprising addresses by eminent speakers and panel discussions on various themes related to public service and recruitment.
The UPSC traces its origins to the First Dispatch of the Government of India on the Indian Constitutional Reforms, issued on March 5, 1919. The dispatch highlighted the need for a permanent body to regulate service matters.
The Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Services in India, headed by Lord Lee, subsequently recommended the establishment of a Public Service Commission in its 1924 report. The first Public Service Commission was set up on October 1, 1926, with Sir Ross Barker as its chairman.
The body initially had limited advisory powers. The Government of India Act, 1935 provided for a Federal Public Service Commission, which became the UPSC after independence. With the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950, the commission received constitutional status.
The UPSC is established under Article 315 of the Constitution and currently comprises a chairman and 10 members. Article 320 requires it to be consulted on matters relating to recruitment to civil services and posts.
The commission conducts examinations for recruitment to the services of the Union, including the All India Services and Central Group A and Group B services. Its responsibilities also include direct recruitment through selection and interviews, appointments through promotion, deputation and absorption, framing and amendment of recruitment rules, and advising the government on disciplinary matters.
The UPSC also advises the government on matters referred to it by the President.
