Relevance: GS-2 (Governance, Civil Services)
Sources: Ministry of Personnel; 2nd ARC; The Hindu Explainer

Context and the Issue

In recent years, several State Public Service Commission examinations have faced paper leaks, abrupt postponements, cancellations and mass protests—as seen recently in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. These disruptions have created uncertainty for lakhs of aspirants and have weakened trust in the recruitment system. 

At the same time, India continues to struggle with large vacancies, slow recruitment cycles, and growing concerns about corruption and insensitivity in sections of the bureaucracy. Together, these factors underline the need for structural reforms in India’s public services.

History and Constitutional Mandate 

India’s civil services recruitment originated from the recommendations of the Lee Commission (1924), which led to the formation of the Federal Public Service Commission in 1926. 

After Independence, Articles 315–323 established the Union Public Service Commission and State Public Service Commissions to ensure merit-based, politically neutral and transparent selection.
Over time, rapid expansion of welfare programmes, increasing administrative demands, and rising exam volumes have stretched State PSCs, many of which still function with limited staff and outdated systems.

Public Service Commissions perform the following core functions:

• Conduct examinations for civil, police, engineering, forest and other government services.
  
• Advise governments on recruitment rules, promotions, reservations and disciplinary matters.
  
• Maintain independence, fairness and transparency in public appointments through constitutionally protected autonomy.
  

Key Issues in Recruitment and Public Service Functioning

1. Exam Irregularities and Delays

• Frequent paper leaks, cancellations and technical failures in several States.
  
• Unpredictable exam calendars and long gaps between notification, examination and results.
  
• Increasing litigation delaying appointments.
  
• Over 8 lakh vacancies across Central and State departments.
  

2. Structural Weaknesses within PSCs

• Shortage of trained staff, absence of modern digital infrastructure and inconsistent security protocols.
  
• Slow coordination between departments and PSCs leading to delayed vacancy reporting.
  
• Commissions remain exam-focused and underutilise their wider advisory role.
  

3. Post-Recruitment Ethical and Administrative Concerns

• Growing instances of corruption, insensitivity, misuse of authority and local nexus with vested interests.
  
• Training modules do not adequately cover ethics, citizen-centric governance or digital skills.
  
• Rigid cadre structures hinder innovation and inter-department mobility.
  

Holistic Reform Agenda

A. Reforming Public Service Commissions

• Strengthen autonomy, staffing and expertise.
  
• Adopt secure computer-based testing, standardised procedures and real-time dashboards.
  
• Create national guidelines for exam security, evaluation and recruitment timelines.
  

B. Improving Recruitment Processes

• Publish predictable annual recruitment calendars.
  
• Ensure timely vacancy reporting by departments.
  
• Use strong anti-cheating systems and technology-enabled evaluation.
  
• Introduce more domain experts and calibrated lateral entry.
  

C. Strengthening Training and Ethical Foundations

• Mandatory training on ethics, empathy, citizen rights and behavioural skills.
  
• Link promotions with service delivery outcomes and accountability indicators.
  
• Build robust grievance redress and whistle-blower systems.
  

One-Line Wrap

A modern, ethical and citizen-focused public service system is vital for effective and responsive governance.

UPSC Mains Question

“Highlight the major issues in India’s public service recruitment system. Suggest comprehensive reforms to strengthen PSCs and improve public service delivery.”