MPPSC 2023 Prelims Paper-I · Question 21 of 100

Correct — C, Article 322. Article 322 provides that the expenses of the Union Public Service Commission or a State Public Service Commission — including the salaries, allowances and pensions of its members and staff — shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India, or the Consolidated Fund of the State, as the case may be. This removes PSC funding from the normal annual vote of the legislature, safeguarding the Commission's independence.

• (a)Article 320 — Article 320 lays down the functions of the Public Service Commissions (conducting examinations, advising government on recruitment and disciplinary matters) — not their expenditure.
• (b)Article 321 — Article 321 empowers Parliament (for the UPSC) or a State Legislature (for a State PSC) to extend the Commission's functions to any local authority or other body — a different provision from the expenditure clause.
• (d)Article 323 — Article 323 requires the Commission to present an annual report on its work to the President (UPSC) or the Governor (State PSC) — a reporting duty, not the expenditure clause.

Articles 315–323, in Part XIV of the Constitution, form a compact chapter on Public Service Commissions (the UPSC and State PSCs). Article 322 is the financial-independence clause: by charging PSC expenditure directly on the Consolidated Fund, it makes that expenditure non-votable — the legislature can discuss it but cannot refuse or cut it through the ordinary appropriation process.

Articles 320–323 run consecutively and all concern how a PSC 'operates', so they are easy to mix up. Anchor them by function: 320 = functions, 321 = extension of functions, 322 = expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund, 323 = annual report. Any question phrased around 'expenditure' or 'charged on the Consolidated Fund' should point straight to 322 — the same drafting technique used for judges' salaries and the CAG's salary.

• Article 322: expenses of the UPSC/State PSC are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India/State — not subject to a legislative vote.
• Article 320: functions of the PSC (conducting examinations, advising on recruitment, promotion and disciplinary matters).
• Article 321: Parliament or a State Legislature may extend a PSC's functions to local or other authorities.
• Article 323: the PSC presents an annual report on its work to the President (UPSC) or the Governor (State PSC).

• Confusing Article 320 (functions) with Article 322 (expenses) since both concern how the PSC works
• Assuming PSC expenditure needs annual legislative approval like an ordinary ministry — it does not, it is charged on the Consolidated Fund

MPPSC and UPSC both favour direct 'which Article' factual recall on Part XIV, sometimes as a match-the-following across Articles 315–323.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which Article of the Constitution empowers Parliament to extend the functions of the Union Public Service Commission to a local authority?

  • (a)Article 320
  • (b)Article 321
  • (c)Article 322
  • (d)Article 323

  Answer(b) Article 321 — it lets Parliament (for the UPSC) or the State Legislature (for a State PSC) extend PSC functions to local or other bodies.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The provision requiring a Public Service Commission to present an annual report on its work is contained in:

  • (a)Article 319
  • (b)Article 320
  • (c)Article 322
  • (d)Article 323

  Answer(d) Article 323 — the UPSC reports to the President and each State PSC reports to its Governor.