Abbreviation UPSC Region served India | Formation 1 October 1926 | |
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Type Government of India, भारत सरकार Headquarters Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi Location Dholpur House, Shah Jahan Road, New Delhi - 110069 | ||
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC; Hindi: संघ लोक सेवा आयोग) is India's central agency authorised to conduct the Civil Services Examination, Engineering Services Examination, Combined Medical Services Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, National Defence Academy Examination, Naval Academy Examination, Special Class Railway Apprentice, Indian Forest Service examination, Indian Economic Service examination, Indian Statistical Service examination, Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination, and Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant) examination.
Contents
- Administration and control
- Chairman
- Recruitment rules
- Gender issue in application form
- Reports
- References
The agency's charter is granted by the Constitution of India. Articles 315 to 323 of Part XIV of the constitution, titled as Services Under the Union and the States, provide for a Public Service Commission for the Union and for each state. The examination conducted for Civil Servents has a success rate of 0.1%–0.3%.
Administration and control
The Commission consists of a chairman and ten members. The terms and conditions of service of chairman and members of the Commission are governed by the Union Public Service Commission (Members) Regulations, 1969. The Chairman and other members of the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) are appointed by the President of India. At least half of the members of the Commission are Civil Servant (working or retired) with minimum ten years of experience either in Central or State service.
The Commission is serviced by a Secretariat headed by a Secretary with two Additional Secretaries, a number of Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and other supporting staff.
Every member holds office for a term of six years or until he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.
He can submit his resignation at any time to the President of India. He may be removed from his office by the President of India on the ground of misbehaviour (only if an inquiry of such misbehaviour is made and upheld by Supreme Court) or if he is adjudged insolvent, or engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office, or in the opinion of the President unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body.
UPSC is amongst the few institutions which function with both autonomy and freedom along with the country’s higher judiciary and lately the Election Commission.
Chairman
Following is the list of chairmen of UPSC:
Recruitment rules
In accordance with the provisions contained in Article 320 of the Constitution read with the provisions of Union Public Service Commission (Exemption from Consultation) Regulations 1958, Recruitment Rules of all Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts in various Ministries/Departments of Government of India are required to be framed in Consultation with the Commission. Consultation with the Commission is also necessary for framing/amending Recruitment Rules for certain categories of posts under the Employees State Insurance Corporation, The Delhi Municipal Corporation, The New Delhi Municipal Coil, Employees Provide. Various examinations are conducted by UPSC every year on an all India basis. These include:- Examinations for recruitment to services/posts in various fields, such as Civil Services, Engineering, Medical and Forest Service, etc.
Main functions of the Union Public Service Commission under Article Section 320 of the Indian Constitution are:
Gender issue in application form
While the notification of UPSC claims "Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply", the application form available online doesn't have the option for "others" under the category of sex. This was highlighted through an RTI appeal filed by a Madurai-based 23-year-transgender, Swapna.
Transgender Swapna and the gender activist Gopi Shankar from Srishti Madurai staged the protest in Madurai collectorate on 7 October 2013 demanding reservation and to permit alternate genders to appear for examinations conducted by TNPSC, UPSC, SSC and Bank Exams. Later, Swapna successfully moved the Madras High Court in 2013 seeking permission to write the TNPSC Group II exam as a ‘woman’ candidate.
Reports
The UPSC annually submits a report of its work to the President of India. Further it is sent to each house of Parliament for discussion.The commission submits an annual report on the work done by it to the president.The president places the report of the commission before the parliament along with a memorandum with regard to the cases where the advice of the commission was not accepted and the reasons for such non-acceptance.