Why is it in News?
- The 2025 National Conference of State PSC Chairpersons is being hosted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on December 19–20, 2025.
- PSC recruitment cycles across States are repeatedly marked by paper leaks, cancellations, litigation, delays and credibility crises.
- The conference provides an opportunity to address structural and procedural failures common to almost all State PSCs.
Relevance
- GS2: Polity & Governance – constitutional bodies (Art. 315–323), recruitment reforms, federal administration.
- GS2: Civil Services – transparency, meritocracy, institutional credibility, personnel management.
What are Public Service Commissions?
- Constitutional bodies created under Articles 315–323.
- Conduct examinations and advise governments on recruitment, promotions, and disciplinary matters.
- Consist of UPSC (Union PSC) + 28 State PSCs.
Historical Evolution
- Demand for merit-based entry into civil services was central to India’s freedom movement.
- Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (1919) proposed an independent commission for personnel management.
- First PSC established in 1926.
- GOI Act 1935 mandated PSCs in provinces.
- Constitution retained these provisions → UPSC + State PSCs.
Structural Differences: UPSC vs State PSCs
UPSC
- Functions in a politically insulated environment.
- Members appointed for merit, experience, age (usually 55+), non-partisanship.
- Has a dedicated ministry (DoPT) handling manpower planning.
- Regular vacancies + predictable exam cycles.
- Access to national-level expertise for question-setting, moderation, evaluation.
- Strong systems for inter-se moderation, confidentiality, transparency.
- Rare litigation; processes are trusted.
State PSCs
- Operate in a politically permeable environment; appointments often reflect “spoils system”.
- No standard requirements for minimum age, qualification, or experience.
- States lack systematic manpower planning, leading to irregular recruitment cycles.
- Limited financial resources → superannuation extensions, postponed recruitment.
- No dedicated personnel ministry in most States.
- Academic resources sourced only from within the State, limiting expertise.
- Weak inter-se moderation, leading to subjectivity disputes, valuation errors.
- Burdened by vertical, horizontal, and zonal reservations → frequent litigation.
Why State PSCs Face Repeated Crises ?
- Irregular exams due to irregular vacancy notifications.
- Syllabus outdated, rarely reviewed.
- Translation errors in bilingual papers.
- Poor handling of confidentiality → paper leaks.
- Inconsistent adoption of technology, weak digital forensics.
- Lack of structured evaluation frameworks, leading to judicial intervention.
- Post-exam litigation disrupts recruitment for months/years, creating a trust deficit among aspirants.
How UPSC Handles These Issues (and Why States Fail to Replicate Them) ?
- UPSC periodically forms syllabus committees of academics, civil servants, domain experts.
- Strong benchmark for inter-se moderation → ensures fairness across subjects.
- Proactive systemic corrections → aspirants rarely need to go to court.
- Balanced approach: transparency (e.g., answer keys; cut-offs) + confidentiality (exam security).
- Nationwide pool of experts for paper-setting and evaluation.
State PSCs cannot replicate this because:
- Political interference in member appointments.
- Small pool of experts within the State.
- Complex reservation arithmetic increases errors.
- Patchy digitisation compared to UPSC.
Consequences of Dysfunctional State PSCs
- Erosion of public trust; aspirants prefer UPSC over State PSCs.
- Delays affect governance capacity—vacant posts remain unfilled.
- Litigation overloads High Courts.
- Demoralisation among youth; pushes many toward unsafe recruitment channels or migration.
- Cost overruns due to repeated exams and cancellations.
Recommended Reforms (Structural + Procedural)
A. Structural Reforms
- Create a dedicated State Ministry of Personnel.
- Prepare a 5-year manpower recruitment plan.
- Constitutional amendment to set:
- Minimum age for PSC members: 55
- Maximum age: 65
- Define qualification standards:
- Official members: former State Secretaries/equivalent.
- Non-official members: 10 years of experience in recognised professions (law, medicine, engineering etc.).
- Introduce mandatory consultation with Leader of Opposition for non-official appointments.
- Maintain a State-wide panel of eminent persons for appointments.
B. Procedural Reforms
- Periodic syllabus revision, aligned with UPSC norms.
- Publish draft syllabus changes for public consultation.
- Objective-type testing for region-specific knowledge where faculty availability is limited.
- Mixed Main pattern: objective + descriptive papers.
- Strengthen translation processes: blend technology + human oversight.
- Regularly update question patterns to counter AI-assisted answer preparation.
- Adopt UPSC-style inter-se moderation for fairness.
- Improve exam branch oversight by appointing Secretaries with experience in school or intermediate boards.
- Balance transparency and confidentiality using UPSC models.
Expected Outcomes of Reform
- Reduced litigation, fewer cancellations.
- Predictable calendar, faster recruitment.
- Higher aspirant trust and reduced psychological stress.
- Better quality of governance due to timely staffing.
- More professional, insulated, merit-driven PSC functioning.
- State PSCs gradually reaching UPSC-level credibility.
