Staff Selection Commission
Also called: SSC · Topic: Civil Services: Role, Accountability and Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is the central government body that recruits staff for Group B (non-gazetted) and Group C posts. Non-gazetted means mid-level posts whose appointments are not published in the official Gazette. It holds competitive examinations for these jobs in central ministries and offices. It takes care of the large number of lower and middle-level posts, while the UPSC selects the higher services.
Example
A clerk or assistant working in a central ministry is usually recruited through an SSC examination. An IAS or Indian Foreign Service officer comes through the UPSC civil services examination.
Don't confuse with
- Union Public Service Commission: the UPSC is a constitutional body (Articles 315-320) that recruits for Group A and senior posts. The SSC handles Group B (non-gazetted) and Group C posts.
- National Recruitment Agency: the NRA was approved in 2020 only to run a Common Eligibility Test. It does not replace the SSC's recruitment.
Related concepts
- Central Civil Services
- State Civil Services
- Recruitment and conditions of service of public servants
- Department of Personnel and Training
- Kothari Committee (1976)
- Baswan Committee (2016)
- National Recruitment Agency