MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 74 of 100

Correct — A, the Governor. Under Article 316(1) of the Constitution, the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission are appointed by the Governor of that State.

• (b)the Chief Minister — Wrong. The Chief Minister heads the Council of Ministers but has no constitutional appointing power over the State PSC — that power rests with the Governor.
• (c)the President — Wrong for an individual State's own Commission. The President appoints the UPSC's Chairman/members, and also a Joint State PSC's (Article 315(2)) — but not an individual State's own PSC.
• (d)the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission — Wrong. The UPSC Chairman has no constitutional role in appointing members of a State Public Service Commission.

Article 316 governs appointment (and term) for both the UPSC and State PSCs, but the appointing authority differs by level: the President appoints the UPSC's Chairman/members (and a Joint State PSC's, since it is created by Parliament under Article 315(2)), while the Governor appoints an individual State's own PSC Chairman and members.

MPPSC/UPSC exploit the President-vs-Governor split as the classic trap — students who know 'Article 316 → appointment' sometimes default to the President for every PSC, forgetting the State-level body is a Governor appointment.

• Article 316(1): a State PSC's Chairman & members are appointed by the Governor
• The UPSC's Chairman & members are appointed by the President
• A Joint State PSC (for two or more States, under Article 315(2)) is also appointed by the President
• Appointment (Governor) is distinct from removal (President, under Article 317, for ALL PSCs including State ones)

• Assuming the President appoints every PSC — appointment is by the Governor for a State's own Commission
• Confusing appointment authority (Governor) with removal authority (President, for ALL PSCs including State ones)

A frequent flip: appointment of a State PSC's members is by the Governor, but their REMOVAL is by the President — MPPSC often tests these as separate questions to catch this switch.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  A member of a State Public Service Commission can be removed from office by:

  • (a)the Governor
  • (b)the President, after an inquiry by the Supreme Court
  • (c)the Chief Minister
  • (d)the State Legislature, by a resolution

  Answer(b) the President, after an inquiry by the Supreme Court — removal (Article 317) is by the President even though appointment (Article 316) is by the Governor.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission are appointed by:

  • (a)the Governor
  • (b)the Chief Justice of India
  • (c)the President
  • (d)the Prime Minister

  Answer(c) the President — unlike a State PSC, whose Chairman/members are appointed by the Governor.