MPPSC 2022 Prelims Paper-I · Question 24 of 100

Correct — B, Article 315. Part XIV of the Constitution ('Services Under the Union and the States') opens with Article 315, which provides for a Public Service Commission for the Union (the UPSC) and a Public Service Commission for each State (or a Joint Commission for two or more States, under Article 315(2)).

• (a)Article 340 — Article 340 empowers the President to appoint a commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes — the basis for the Mandal Commission, not the PSC.
• (c)Article 328 — Article 328 empowers a State Legislature to make provision for elections to its own Legislature, subject to Parliament's power under Article 327 — an election-law provision, not a PSC provision.
• (d)Article 238 — Article 238 dealt with the administration of former 'Part B States' and was repealed by the Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 — it has nothing to do with the PSC.

Part XIV of the Constitution ('Services Under the Union and the States') begins with Article 315, establishing a Public Service Commission for the Union and one for each State — the institutional machinery for recruitment to civil services. Article 316 covers appointment and tenure of members, Article 317 covers removal, and Article 320 lays out the Commissions' functions.

MPPSC likes to test the exact Article number for well-known bodies, since students often know the institution but not its constitutional 'address' — Article 315 for PSCs is a classic example, easily confused with nearby unrelated Articles like 328 (elections) or repealed ones like 238.

• Article 315 provides for a Public Service Commission for the Union (UPSC) and for each State (or a Joint SPSC under Article 315(2))
• Article 316 covers appointment and term of office of Commission members
• Article 317 covers removal and suspension of a member of a Public Service Commission
• Article 320 lays out the functions of the Public Service Commissions

• Confusing Article 315 (PSC establishment) with Article 320 (PSC functions) or Article 317 (removal)
• Mixing up Article 315 with unrelated numerically-close Articles like 328 (state election law)

MPPSC often asks the bare Article number for well-known bodies (PSC, Finance Commission, Election Commission) in isolation or via match-the-following — memorise Article 315 as the PSC's 'home' article.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which Article of the Constitution deals with the removal of a member of a Public Service Commission?

  • (a)Article 315
  • (b)Article 316
  • (c)Article 317
  • (d)Article 320

  Answer(c) Article 317 lays down the grounds and procedure for removal of a PSC member.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  A Joint State Public Service Commission for two or more States can be created under:

  • (a)Article 312
  • (b)Article 315(2)
  • (c)Article 316
  • (d)Article 323

  Answer(b) Article 315(2) allows Parliament, on request from the State Legislatures concerned, to provide for a Joint State Public Service Commission.