Centenary of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) | 01 Oct 2025

Source: TH

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) marked its centenary on 1st  October 2025, completing 100 years since its establishment in 1926. Renowned for upholding meritocracy, UPSC has played a key role in shaping India’s civil services.

• Historical Background: The idea of a permanent body to regulate civil services appeared in the 1919 Constitutional Reforms (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms). The Government of India Act, 1919 allowed creation of a Public Service Commission. 
  • Following the Lee Commission (1924) recommendations, the Public Service Commission was established on 1st October 1926, with Sir Ross Barker as its first Chairman. 
  • The Government of India Act, 1935 transformed it into the Federal Public Service Commission. With the Constitution coming into force in 1950, the FPSC became the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) under Article 378.
• UPSC: It is an independent constitutional body in India, established under Articles 315–323 Part XIV Chapter II of the Constitution, responsible for recruiting officers to the All-India Services and Central Civil Services. 
  • The UPSC  conducts various examinations  in accordance with the Rules of examination as notified by the Government of India in a just, fair and impartial manner  for making a merit based selection and recommendation of candidates for various Group A and Group B Services  of the Government of India.

• Reforms by UPSC:
  • PRATIBHA Setu Initiative: It is a centralized online repository of verified biodata that connects interview-qualified candidates of the UPSC examinations, who were not recommended for final selection, to alternate employment opportunities by making their information available to interested employers in both the public and private sectors.