{"id":55752,"date":"2025-10-01T20:50:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T15:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=55752"},"modified":"2025-10-03T14:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T09:12:17","slug":"100-years-upsc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/01-10-2025\/100-years-upsc","title":{"rendered":"100 Years of UPSC : the guardian of meritocracy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) <\/strong>marks a <strong>century of its establishment on October 1.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Establishment: The Government of India Act, 1919,<\/strong> first provided for such a body, and in <strong>October 1926, the Public Service Commission was set up,<\/strong> following the <strong>recommendations of the Lee Commission (1924).<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Later named the <strong>Federal Public Service Commission (1937), <\/strong>it was renamed the Union Public Service Commission with the adoption of India\u2019s <strong>Constitution on 26th January 1950.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The UPSC conducts<\/strong> civil services examinations to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service , among others.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Members:<\/strong> Besides the chairman, it can have a <strong>maximum of 10 members.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A UPSC chairman is appointed for a<strong> term of six years <\/strong>or until attaining <strong>65 years of age, all members have the same term.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reappointment: <\/strong>The UPSC Chairman is <strong>not eligible for reappointment <\/strong>after completing their term.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Removal (317): Removal by President:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can only be done on the ground of misbehaviour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Requires a Supreme Court inquiry and report confirming the misbehaviour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reference to the Supreme Court is made by the President.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Can remove without Supreme Court inquiry if the person: <\/strong>Is adjudged insolvent, engages in paid employment outside office duties, is unfit due to mental or physical infirmity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Civil Services Day<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Civil Services Day<\/strong> is observed on <strong>21st April every year<\/strong> to commemorate the day <strong>in 1947 when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel <\/strong>addressed the <strong>first batch of civil servants at the Metcalfe House, New Delhi.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>1. He termed civil servants as the <strong>&#8220;Steel frame of India,&#8221;<\/strong> emphasizing their role in maintaining unity and integrity.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>History of Civil Services in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lord Cornwallis<\/strong> is considered as <strong>\u2018Father of Civil Services in India\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lord Wellesley<\/strong> founded the College of <strong>Fort William in Calcutta in 1800<\/strong> to educate young recruits for the Civil Services.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But the directors of the Company, in 1806, replaced it with their own <strong>East Indian College at Haileybury in England.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Charter Act of 1853 <\/strong>abolished the patronage system and introduced open competitive examinations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first competitive exams for the Indian Civil Services (ICS) were held in London in <strong>1855<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Satyendranath Tagore<\/strong> was the first Indian to clear ICS in <strong>1864<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>From 1922 onwards<\/strong> the Indian Civil Service Examination began to be held in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Constitutional Provisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 309<\/strong> empowers Parliament and State Legislatures to regulate recruitment and conditions of service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 310<\/strong> of the Constitution states that civil servants of the Union and the States hold office during the pleasure of the President or the Governor, respectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 311<\/strong> provides safeguards for civil servants against arbitrary dismissal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 312<\/strong> outlines the process for creating All India Services, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and the Indian Forest Service (IFS).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Articles 315 to 323<\/strong> of the Indian Constitution establish Public Service Commissions (PSCs) for both the Union (UPSC) and each state (SPSC).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Role of Civil Services in Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Service delivery:<\/strong> They are responsible for administering welfare schemes and ensuring that public services reach the intended beneficiaries, particularly at the last mile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maintaining law and order:<\/strong> Civil servants ensure peace, justice, and security by upholding the rule of law and coordinating with law enforcement agencies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elections: <\/strong>They have been instrumental in the conduct of free and fair elections, and ensuring smooth transfer of power both at the Centre and States.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uninterrupted Administration:<\/strong> There have been numerous instances when States have been placed under President\u2019s rule, with the civil services ensuring uninterrupted administration during such times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy Making:<\/strong> They provide advice to governments in policy making and also implement the policies made by the political executive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges faced by civil services<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Political Bias:<\/strong> At times lack of neutrality of Civil servants result in political bias in discharge of critical functions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cause and effect of this phenomenon is the increasing political interference in all aspects of bureaucracy including postings and transfers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Expertise: <\/strong>Career bureaucrats who are generalists, may lack the expertise needed to address technical challenges.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Red-tapism:<\/strong> Excessive procedural formalities often delay decision-making and hinder timely service delivery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental health issues: <\/strong>High-pressure environments, and long working hours impact the mental well-being of civil servants.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Resistance to innovation:<\/strong> A rigid administrative culture discourages experimentation and adoption of new practices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outdated rules and procedures:<\/strong> Many service regulations are colonial-era legacies that are not compatible with modern governance needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Governance reforms to enhance efficiency of bureaucracy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/06-06-2024\/mission-karmayogi-national-programme-for-civil-services-capacity-building\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/06-06-2024\/mission-karmayogi-national-programme-for-civil-services-capacity-building\">Mission Karmayogi National Program<\/a>: <\/strong>It is a flagship programme of Government of India <strong>launched in 2020<\/strong> for training of civil servants, which intends to transform the Civil Services from \u2018<strong>Rule Based\u2019 to \u2018Role Based\u2019<\/strong> way of functioning and Citizen Centric.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lateral Entry into Civil Services<\/strong> to bring domain expertise and promote competitiveness in administration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>e-Governance Initiatives:<\/strong> Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for grievance redressal, SPARROW for performance appraisal, and digitization of service records.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Civil servants play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of India&#8217;s growth and governance, often known as the<strong> architects of Viksit Bharat.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While it has been praised for its professionalism and institutional stability, it also faces challenges such as delays, procedural rigidity, and adaptability to modern needs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthening transparency, efficiency, and accountability can help the bureaucracy continue to serve as an effective pillar of India\u2019s democratic system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/150453\/OPS\/GU5EUFL09.1+G6MEVK3RQ.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) marks a century of its establishment on October 1.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>About<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Establishment:The Government of India Act, 1919, first provided for such a body, and in October 1926, the Public Service Commission was set up, following the recommendations of the Lee Commission (1924).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Later named the Federal Public Service Commission (1937), it was renamed the Union Public Service Commission with the adoption of India\u2019s Constitution on 26th January 1950.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The UPSC conducts civil services examinations to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service , among others.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Members: Besides the chairman, it can have a maximum of 10 members.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/01-10-2025\/100-years-upsc\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55752"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55794,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55752\/revisions\/55794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}