MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 59 of 100

Correct — B, five members. Article 316 of the Constitution does not fix a number for a State Public Service Commission; it leaves the Commission's strength to be decided by the Governor of the state rather than by a figure written into the Constitution itself. As fixed for the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC), the sanctioned strength presently caps at five members in total, which is the figure this question's official answer key affirms.

• (a)four members — Understates the sanctioned strength for the MPPSC per the official key.
• (c)six members — Overstates the sanctioned strength for the MPPSC per the official key.
• (d)seven members — Overstates the sanctioned strength; also not a figure fixed for any State Public Service Commission by the Constitution itself.

Article 316 of the Constitution provides that a Public Service Commission (Union, State, or Joint) shall consist of a Chairman and other Members appointed by the President (for the UPSC) or the Governor (for a State/Joint PSC) — but the Constitution deliberately leaves the total number of members undetermined, to be decided by the appointing authority as administrative needs change.

MPPSC likes to test this specific 'maximum number of members' fact because students assume the Constitution fixes it, the way it fixes numbers for bodies like the Finance Commission. The correct reasoning is: check what has actually been notified for the MPPSC rather than what 'sounds' like a standard constitutional number.

• Article 316: the strength of a State Public Service Commission is decided by the Governor, not fixed by the Constitution
• UPSC's Chairman & Members are appointed by the President; a State PSC's Chairman & Members by the Governor
• Members of a State Public Service Commission hold office for 6 years or until age 62, whichever is earlier (Article 316(2))
• MPPSC's sanctioned strength currently caps at five members, per this question's official key

• Assuming the Constitution fixes a specific number of PSC members
• Confusing who APPOINTS (Governor, for a State PSC) with who REMOVES (President, for both UPSC and State PSC members)

MPPSC frequently tests these 'housekeeping' constitutional facts about its own commission — expect questions on tenure, removal grounds, and reappointment eligibility of MPPSC members too.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under Article 316 of the Constitution, the number of members of a State Public Service Commission is decided by:

  • (a)the Constitution itself (a fixed number)
  • (b)Parliament, by law
  • (c)the Governor of the State
  • (d)the President of India

  Answer(c) the Governor of the State.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  A member of a State Public Service Commission holds office for a term of 6 years from the date of appointment or until he attains the age of ___, whichever is earlier.

  • (a)58 years
  • (b)60 years
  • (c)62 years
  • (d)65 years

  Answer(c) 62 years — Article 316(2).