PM to participate in Centenary Celebrations of UPSC on October 1 at Bharat Mandapam

1. At a Glance

• The event: On 1 October 2026, PM Narendra Modi takes part in the Centenary Celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It marks 100 years since the Commission was set up in 1926 [1].
• Why it matters: UPSC is India's central recruiting body. Its predecessor came out of the Government of India Act, 1919 and the Lee Commission (1924) [2]. Its lineage, its constitutional status and the reforms of the centenary year are all examinable.
• Where it fits: GS-II (constitutional bodies, civil services) and GS-IV (integrity and merit in public service). Useful for Prelims chronology questions on the name changes: 1926 → 1937 → 1950 [2].

2. Why in the News

• PIB release dated 30 September 2026: the PM will attend the UPSC Centenary Celebrations on 1 October 2026 at 11 AM, Bharat Mandapam, and address the gathering [1].
• The PM will release three items [1]:
• a UPSC Centenary Commemorative Coin
• a Commemorative Stamp

• a book titled '100 Landmark Judgements – Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India'

• The event closes the year-long celebrations that began on 1 October 2025 [1][2].

• It is part of a two-day programme on 30 September and 1 October 2026. Day 1 is 'Shatabdi Samaroh – Manthan': addresses by eminent speakers followed by panel discussions [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Rationale: The Public Service Commission was set up under the provisions of the Government of India Act, 1919 and on the recommendations of the Lee Commission (1924) [2].
• Milestones:
• 1 October 1926: Public Service Commission established [2]
• 1937: renamed the Federal Public Service Commission [2]
• 26 January 1950: renamed the Union Public Service Commission when the Constitution was adopted [2]

• 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026: Centenary Year [2][1]

• Foundation Day: UPSC marks its Foundation Day each year. It celebrated its 93rd Foundation Day in 2019, which matches the 1926 founding [10].

• Parallel state bodies: State Public Service Commissions. Their Chairmen and Members attend the centenary event [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Established	1 October 1926, as the Public Service Commission [2]
Statutory genesis	GoI Act, 1919 plus Lee Commission (1924) [2]
1937 name	Federal Public Service Commission [2]
1950 name	Union Public Service Commission (26 January 1950) [2]
Centenary year	1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026 [2]
Centenary culmination venue	Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi [1]
Items released	Coin, stamp, book '100 Landmark Judgements…' [1]
Current Chairman	Dr. Ajay Kumar [6]
Centenary initiative	Centre of Excellence: a repository of best practices of UPSC and State PSCs [3]

Constitutional provisions. I could not open a whitelisted source for these during this session, so they carry no citation. Check them against the Constitution text:

• Part XIV, Articles 315–323 cover the Public Service Commissions.
• Art. 315: a PSC for the Union and for each State.
• Art. 316: appointment by the President; term of 6 years or until age 65.
• Art. 317: removal.
• Art. 320: functions.
• Art. 323: annual report to the President, laid before Parliament.
• First Chairman: Sir Ross Barker (also unverified).

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Historical

• The Commission's name changed three times, following India's constitutional path: GoI Act 1919 → federal structure (1937) → Republic (1950) [2].
• Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh called UPSC the "Guardian of India's Steel Frame" at the Shatabdi Sammelan [4]. The phrase ties the Commission to the idea of the civil services as the "steel frame" of administration.

Legal / Constitutional

• The commemorative book collects 100 landmark judgements that shaped the policies of UPSC and the State PSCs [1]. This shows how much recruitment policy is shaped by courts.
• UPSC and the State PSCs come under a single constitutional chapter (Part XIV; see the unverified note in §4). That is why State PSCs take part in the centenary [1].

Governance / Ethical

• Chairman Ajay Kumar's centenary vision stresses inclusivity and digital transformation [7].
• The Centre of Excellence is planned as a knowledge hub of SOPs, innovations and key takeaways from UPSC and the State PSCs, aimed at spreading best practice across recruiting bodies [3].

Social

• UPSC introduced a 'Centre of Choice' facility for all Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates [8]. This supports equity and accessibility in recruitment.

Administrative / Federal

• The Shatabdi Sammelan (26–27 November 2025, Bharat Mandapam) brought national stakeholders together [4]. The PM's Principal Secretary, Dr. P.K. Mishra, addressed its plenary session [5].
• UPSC opened a new office at the Talkatora Annexe Building [9].
• The centenary pairs Union and State PSCs through a shared best-practice repository [3] and joint participation [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• Dr. Ajay Kumar took charge as Chairman, UPSC [6]. The exact date was not retrieved.
• UPSC proposed a Centre of Excellence ahead of the centenary [3].
• 1 October 2025: the Centenary Year began [2].
• The Chairman set out a centenary vision built on inclusivity and digital transformation [7].
• 26–27 November 2025: Shatabdi Sammelan (Centenary Conclave) at Bharat Mandapam [4]. Jitendra Singh and P.K. Mishra spoke [4][5].
• The 'Centre of Choice' facility was introduced for all PwBD candidates [8].
• A new UPSC office was inaugurated at the Talkatora Annexe Building [9].
• 30 September 2026: 'Shatabdi Samaroh – Manthan' at Bharat Mandapam [1].
• 1 October 2026: the PM releases the coin, stamp and book, ending the celebrations [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The Public Service Commission in India was set up on 1 October 1926 [2].
• It was based on the GoI Act, 1919 and the Lee Commission (1924) [2].
• It was renamed the Federal Public Service Commission in 1937 [2].
• It became the Union Public Service Commission on 26 January 1950 [2].
• The UPSC Centenary Year ran from 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026 [2].
• The centenary culmination was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi [1].
• The PM released a commemorative coin and a commemorative stamp for the UPSC centenary [1].
• Book released: '100 Landmark Judgements – Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India' [1].
• Day 1 (30 September 2026) of the closing programme was named 'Shatabdi Samaroh – Manthan' [1].
• The 'Shatabdi Sammelan' was held on 26–27 November 2025 at Bharat Mandapam [4].
• UPSC was described as the "Guardian of India's Steel Frame" by Dr. Jitendra Singh [4].
• The proposed Centre of Excellence is a repository of best practices of UPSC and State PSCs [3].
• The 'Centre of Choice' facility is for all PwBD candidates [8].
• Current UPSC Chairman: Dr. Ajay Kumar [6].

8. Why the Anti-Leak Law Covers UPSC but Not the State PSCs

• The central law against cheating stops at central exams
• The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 applies to exams run by the bodies in its Schedule (the list at the end of the Act). These are UPSC, SSC, the Railway Recruitment Boards, NTA, IBPS and central ministries, plus any body the Centre notifies [11].
• State Public Service Commissions are not on that list [11][12].

• So the centenary treats UPSC and State PSCs as one family [1][3], but the toughest central protection covers only the Union side.

• States have to write their own laws, one by one

• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar each passed their own Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act in 2024 [16][17].
• This means a candidate's protection depends on the state where they sit the exam.

• A gang that leaks papers across state borders meets different laws in different places.

• Why this matters for the Centre of Excellence

• The Centre of Excellence is meant to share best practices among UPSC and the State PSCs [3].
• Sharing SOPs (standard operating procedures, the fixed written steps for running an exam) helps. But it cannot give a State PSC the legal backing the 2024 Act gives UPSC.
• Mains stem 3 in §8 asks about State PSC challenges. This gap in legal cover is a concrete point to use.

9. Why a Tougher Law Was Needed Just Two Years Later

• The 2024 Act made punishment strict
• Cheating can bring 3 to 5 years in jail. Organised cheating (by gangs) can bring 5 to 10 years and a fine of at least ₹1 crore [11].

• A police officer of at least Deputy Superintendent rank investigates. The Centre can hand the case to a central agency [11].

• Strict punishment on paper did not stop leaks

• In May 2026, NEET 2026 was cancelled after an alleged paper leak [12].

• The government introduced an Amendment Bill on 27 July 2026 [12], and Rajya Sabha passed it by voice vote [13].

• The fix shows where the weak point was: slow justice

• The Amendment adds fast-tracked investigation, Special Fast Track Courts, Special Public Prosecutors and time limits for deciding appeals [12].
• So the problem the government saw was not a small penalty. It was that cases moved too slowly for the penalty to scare anyone.

• Lesson for an answer: deterrence (stopping crime through fear of punishment) needs quick trials, not only long jail terms.

• UPSC's centenary falls in this setting

• UPSC was not part of the NEET leak. But the same Act covers UPSC and NTA [11], so public trust in 'merit exams' is shared.
• UPSC's century-old record of clean exams is its main asset. The 2026 law is the state's attempt to protect that asset across all recruiting bodies.

10. Lateral Entry: A Second Door into Senior Posts

• What lateral entry is
• Lateral entry means hiring people from outside the government straight into senior posts. They do not come up through the Civil Services Examination.

• At the request of DoPT, UPSC invited applications in 2021 for Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary posts [14].

• The interest was large

• UPSC received 295 applications for Joint Secretary posts, 1,247 for Director posts and 489 for Deputy Secretary posts [14].

• The case for it

• Minister Jitendra Singh said the government has streamlined lateral entry to bring in 'the best of the best' talent with expertise for a particular task [18].

• The idea is that a generalist officer may lack deep subject knowledge in fields like finance or technology.

• Why it touches the 'steel frame' idea

• The note quotes UPSC as the 'Guardian of India's Steel Frame' [4]. That frame was built on one open, anonymous exam that everyone sits.
• Lateral entrants are also chosen through UPSC [14]. But they reach senior posts by a separate route, without the same open exam.
• So in its centenary year, UPSC runs both the old merit door and a newer expertise door. A good Mains answer should weigh both: expertise gained against the equal-entry principle.

11. The Coaching Market That Grew Around the Exam

• Misleading claims about toppers have been penalised
• The CCPA (Central Consumer Protection Authority, the national consumer watchdog) fined Vajirao & Reddy Institute and StudyIQ IAS ₹7 lakh each, and Edge IAS ₹1 lakh [15].
• The reason was misleading claims about their results in UPSC CSE 2022 and 2023 [15].

• The CCPA also issued guidelines on misleading advertisements in the coaching sector [19].

• Why this matters for inclusivity

• The Chairman's centenary vision stresses inclusivity [7].
• But if candidates believe that success needs paid coaching, poorer candidates are pushed back even before the exam.

• False 'we made the topper' claims make this belief stronger and push families to spend more.

• What this means for GS-IV

• The exam's fairness is a public good. A private market that sells false promises around it weakens trust in merit.
• Steps like the PwBD 'Centre of Choice' [8] widen access inside the exam hall. The coaching market affects access outside it.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: 295 (Joint Secretary), 1,247 (Director) and 489 (Deputy Secretary) applications for UPSC's 2021 lateral-entry recruitment [14]
• Data: Minimum fine of ₹1 crore and 5–10 years' jail for organised cheating under the 2024 Act [11]
• Law/Case: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 (covers UPSC, SSC, RRBs, NTA, IBPS) [11]. Amendment Bill, 2026 (fast-track courts, special prosecutors) [12]
• Law/Case: State laws: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Acts, 2024 [16][17]
• Law/Case: CCPA penalties on coaching institutes for misleading UPSC result claims [15], and CCPA guidelines on coaching advertisements [19]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: "Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies"; "Role of civil services in a democracy."
• GS-IV: probity in governance, and meritocracy and integrity in public recruitment.
• Possible question stems: 1. Trace the evolution of the Union Public Service Commission from 1926 to its constitutional status. How far has it upheld the principle of merit in public recruitment over a century? 2. Judicial pronouncements have significantly shaped the functioning of Public Service Commissions in India. Discuss, in light of the UPSC centenary. 3. Discuss the challenges faced by State Public Service Commissions and suggest how institutional mechanisms such as a Centre of Excellence could strengthen them.

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• Part XIV of the Constitution (Arts. 308–323): services under the Union and States, and PSC provisions.
• Lee Commission (1924): it recommended setting up the PSC [2].
• Government of India Acts 1919 and 1935: the statutory lineage behind the 1926 and 1937 bodies [2].
• All India Services (Art. 312): UPSC recruits for the IAS, IPS and IFoS.
• Mission Karmayogi / civil services capacity building: the reform debate around the "steel frame."
• State PSCs and exam-integrity issues: they share a constitutional framework and the centenary platform [1][3].
• Bharat Mandapam: venue of recurring national events [1][4].
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities in recruitment: linked to the PwBD 'Centre of Choice' [8].

15. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Founding year: it is 1926, not 1935 or 1950. The GoI Act 1919 was the enabling basis, not the 1935 Act [2].
• Name sequence: Public Service Commission (1926) → Federal PSC (1937) → Union PSC (1950). Aspirants often mix up 1935 (Act passed) with 1937 (renaming) [2].
• Two different events: the Shatabdi Sammelan was held in November 2025. The Shatabdi Samaroh – Manthan was held on 30 September 2026 [4][1].
• What was released: a coin, a stamp and a book on landmark judgements, not a history volume [1].
• Scope of the Centre of Excellence: it covers UPSC and State PSCs, not only UPSC [3].