Question

Consider the following statements:

1. The Joint State PSC submits its annual report to each concerned state’s Governor.

2. The conditions of service of an SPSC member cannot be altered to their disadvantage after appointment.

3. The Travancore PSC functioned from 1936 to 1949.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

D. All of the above

Public Service Commissions in India

Joint State Public Service Commission (JSPSC)

• A Joint State Public Service Commission (JSPSC) is constituted by an Act of Parliament at the request of the State Legislatures concerned. It serves two or more states.

• Despite being a statutory body (created by an Act of Parliament), its operational framework and reporting mechanisms are aligned with the constitutional provisions for Public Service Commissions.

• As per Article 323 of the Indian Constitution, a Joint State Public Service Commission is required to submit its annual report on its performance to each of the concerned state’s Governors.

• Subsequently, each Governor then lays this report before the State Legislature, ensuring parliamentary oversight and accountability for the commission's activities.

Independence of State Public Service Commission (SPSC) Members

• The Indian Constitution guarantees significant independence to members of Public Service Commissions to ensure their impartial functioning.

• One crucial safeguard, explicitly mentioned in Article 318, is that the conditions of service of a member of a Public Service Commission, including a State Public Service Commission (SPSC), cannot be altered to their disadvantage after their appointment.

• This constitutional provision protects members from arbitrary changes in their service conditions by the executive and allows them to discharge their duties without fear or favor.

• The Governor determines the conditions of service of the Chairman and members of an SPSC.

Historical Context: Travancore Public Service Commission

• The Travancore Public Service Commission was a pioneering institution established in the princely state of Travancore in 1936. It was one of the earliest Public Service Commissions in any princely state in India.

• This commission was responsible for recruitment to public services within the Travancore state, demonstrating early administrative reforms and the adoption of merit-based selection.

• Its operations continued until 1949, when the princely states of Travancore and Cochin merged to form the United State of Travancore and Cochin.

• Following this merger, a new Public Service Commission for Travancore-Cochin was formed. Later, with the reorganization of states in 1956 and the formation of Kerala, the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) was constituted, inheriting the functions of its predecessors.