The Union Public Service Commission is a hundred-year-old constitutional body but its mandate and methods need a 2026 update. With reference to Article 315 and the UPSC at 100, examine.
Subtopic: Polity · Appointments to Constitutional Posts
How to structure your answer
Introduction: The Union Public Service Commission traces back to the Public Service Commission set up in October 1926 under the Government of India Act 1919; Article 315 of the Constitution gave it constitutional status from 26 January 1950.
Body: Three dimensions — (i) constitutional architecture — Article 315 (UPSC and State PSCs), Article 316 (appointment), Article 320 (functions: recruitment, advice on disciplinary matters), Article 322 (expenses on Consolidated Fund); (ii) functional concerns — exam-paper leaks at the State level, lateral entry (UPSC advertisement July 2024 for joint secretaries withdrawn), and faceless interview reform proposals; (iii) reform agenda — Baswan Committee 2016 on CSE pattern, 2nd ARC's Tenth Report on personnel administration, and the case for moving from selection-only to a strategic HR function for the Union.
Way forward / Conclusion: Operationalise the National Recruitment Agency, codify lateral-entry safeguards through legislation, and a public-facing performance audit of UPSC processes would modernise Article 315.
Written within the word limit
125 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: Article 315 of the Constitution gave the Union Public Service Commission constitutional status from 26 January 1950, succeeding the Public Service Commission constituted in October 1926 under the Government of India Act 1919 — UPSC at 100.
Body: Three dimensions frame the 2026 update. First, constitutional architecture — Article 316 (appointment for six years or 65 years), Article 320 (functions including recruitment and disciplinary advice) and Article 322 (expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund of India). Second, functional concerns — State PSC exam-paper leaks, the withdrawn July 2024 lateral-entry advertisement for joint secretaries, and faceless interview pilots. Third, reform — the Baswan Committee 2016 on the CSE pattern and the 2nd ARC's Tenth Report (2008) on personnel administration argue for a strategic-HR mandate.
Conclusion: Operationalise the National Recruitment Agency (announced 2020), codify lateral-entry safeguards by legislation, and audit UPSC processes to modernise Article 315.
What an examiner expects to see
- Public Service Commission constituted October 1926; UPSC constitutional from 26 January 1950
- Article 315 — UPSC and State Public Service Commissions
- Article 316 — appointment by President for six-year term or 65 years
- Article 320 — functions of PSCs (recruitment, disciplinary advice)
- Article 322 — expenses charged on Consolidated Fund of India
- Baswan Committee on CSE Pattern (2016)
- Lateral Entry UPSC advertisement 2024 — withdrawn after objection
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- UPSC at 100 — 1926 to 2026
- Lateral Entry advertisement 2024
- National Recruitment Agency announcement 2020
- 2nd ARC Tenth Report 2008
- Baswan Committee 2016