Services under the Union and States Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The answer is On request of the Governor with approval of the President.

Article 315(4) of the Constitution provides that the Union Public Service Commission may, if requested by the Governor of a State and with the approval of the President, agree to serve all or any of the needs of that State.

The Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and the Election Commission play no part in this arrangement. The two roles named in the Article are the Governor, who makes the request, and the President, who approves it.

Answer: A

The statement that is not correct is The Chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of 5 years.

Under Article 316, the Chairman and members of the UPSC hold office for six years or until they reach 65, whichever comes first.

The other statements are correct. Under Article 317 the President can remove the Chairman or a member on the grounds the Constitution lays down. The UPSC is the central recruiting agency for the all-India and central services, and it is an independent constitutional body set up under Article 315.

Answer: C

A Joint State Public Service Commission is established in the way described by both (A) and (B).

Article 315(2) of the Constitution provides that two or more States may agree to have one Public Service Commission for that group of States, and if a resolution to that effect is passed by each House of the legislature of each State, Parliament may by law provide for the appointment of a Joint State Public Service Commission.

So both elements are needed: the States' agreement, expressed through their legislatures, and a law of Parliament. Either one alone is incomplete, and 'None of the above' is wrong.

Answer: B

The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission was constituted under Section 118(3) of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.

When the new State of Madhya Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956, section 118 of the States Reorganisation Act dealt with the Public Service Commissions of the reorganised states. The Commission for the new state was constituted under section 118(3) of the Act, and it has functioned at Indore since then.

The other sub-sections listed are not the provision under which the Commission was constituted.

Answer: B

The key gives five members.

Under Article 316 of the Constitution the Governor appoints the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission, and under Article 318 the Governor fixes by regulation the number of members. So the maximum for Madhya Pradesh is a matter of the state's own regulation.

I could not find the regulation's text or an official page stating the cap. One reference describes the Commission as a chairman and not more than five members, but another source on the same Commission is inconsistent. The answer therefore rests on the key. Four, six and seven are the other figures offered.

Answer: A

They are appointed by Governor.

Under Article 316, the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission are appointed by the Governor of the state. They hold office for six years or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

The President appoints the members of the Union Public Service Commission and is the authority that can remove members of a State commission, but does not appoint them. The Chief Minister advises but does not appoint, and the UPSC Chairman has no role.

Answer: C

The expenses of Public Service Commissions are dealt with in Article 322.

Article 322 provides that the expenses of the Union or a State Public Service Commission, including the salaries, allowances and pensions of its members and staff, are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or of the State. Charged expenditure is not voted on by the legislature, which protects the commissions' independence.

Article 320 sets out the functions of the commissions, Article 321 allows their functions to be extended by law, and Article 323 deals with the annual reports they present to the President or Governor.

Answer: D

The committee was chaired by Professor Yoginder Kumar Alagh.

In July 2000 the UPSC set up a committee under the economist Y.K. Alagh, a former Union minister, to review the civil services examination. It submitted its report in 2001.

The other names belong to later reviews and roles: Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar, for instance, is known as chairman of the University Grants Commission. None of them chaired the UPSC committee of July 2000.