Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participates in Centenary Celebrations of UPSC

Note on sourcing: The PIB release text supplied with the request ([1]) breaks off mid-sentence, so nothing after that point is covered. The other sources (PIB and upsc.gov.in pages) returned HTTP 403 when fetched directly. Facts from them come from search-result snippets of those official pages. Where a snippet did not clearly show which of two pages a fact came from, both are cited.

1. At a Glance

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) finished its 100th year on 1 October 2026. The Public Service Commission was first set up on 1 October 1926 [5][2].
• PM Modi spoke at the closing event at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He set out a recruitment philosophy for Viksit Bharat @2047: selection should test motivation for public service, not just knowledge [1].
• The topic links constitutional bodies (Arts. 315–323) with civil-services reform and GS-IV ethics ideas such as Nagrik Devo Bhava [1][6].
• It is a likely source of Prelims questions on UPSC history (Lee Commission, Federal PSC, first Chairman) and of Mains questions on the "steel frame" debate.

2. Why in the News

• 1 Oct 2026: PM Modi took part in the UPSC Centenary Celebrations at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi [1].
• Three items were released at the event: a commemorative postage stamp, a special coin, and a compilation of 100 significant case laws [1].
• The event closed the Centenary Year (1 Oct 2025 – 1 Oct 2026). Its theme was "UPSC Marking 100 Years of Commitment to Merit and Public Service" [2].

3. Background & Evolution

• Government of India Act, 1919 and the Lee Commission (1924) recommended setting up a Public Service Commission [5].
• 1 Oct 1926: The Public Service Commission was set up in India for the first time. It had a Chairman plus 4 Members [5].
• First Chairman: Sir Ross Barker, a member of the UK Home Civil Service [5].
• 1937: It was renamed the Federal Public Service Commission [5].
• 26 Jan 1950: It became the Union Public Service Commission when the Constitution was adopted [5].
• After Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel built the "steel frame" and strengthened the institution into a "premier pillar of independent India", according to the PM [1].
• 1 Oct 2025: The Centenary Year began [2].
• 1 Oct 2026: The PM addressed the closing celebrations [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Nature	Constitutional body under Part XIV, Arts. 315–323 [6][10]
Art. 315	Provides for a PSC for the Union and one for each State, with no formal linkage between them [6]
Art. 316	Appointment and term of members. Term is 6 years or until age 65 (Union Commission), whichever is earlier [7]
Art. 320	Functions of Public Service Commissions [8]
Art. 323	Reports of Public Service Commissions [9]
Origin	1 Oct 1926. Based on the GoI Act 1919 and the Lee Commission (1924) [5]
First Chairman	Sir Ross Barker [5]
Original strength	Chairman + 4 Members [5]
Renamed	Federal PSC (1937), then UPSC (26 Jan 1950) [5]
Chairman during Centenary	Dr. Ajay Kumar [3][4]
Centenary theme	"UPSC Marking 100 Years of Commitment to Merit and Public Service" [2]
Centenary releases	Postage stamp, special coin, compilation of 100 significant case laws [1]
New logo	National emblem at the centre, inside a wreath of banyan leaves (wisdom and resilience) [2][3]
Proposed institution	Centre of Excellence (CoE): a repository of best practices of UPSC and State PSCs [4]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Ethical / Governance

• The PM dropped the "Mai-Baap" mindset in favour of "Nagrik Devo Bhava", which treats the citizen as divine [1].
• He set three principles for 21st-century administration: Pro-People, Pro-Active, Good Governance [1].
• Selection must test motivation, so that candidates seek public service, not public office [1].
• He suggested trainee officers write down their original motivations as a self-appraisal tool, and asked UPSC and State PSCs to consider building such a system [1].

Administrative

• Every selection process should be tested against two criteria: Nation First and Citizen First [1].
• Selection parameters and the recruitment process must change to meet future needs [1].
• Recruits should anticipate problems before they arise, work without undue pressure or influence, and assess how laws affect the public [1].
• The CoE proposal tries to bring together best practices across UPSC and State PSCs, even though Art. 315 sets up no formal linkage between them [4][6].

Scientific / Technological

• Future civil servants will face information warfare, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and climate justice [1].
• Citizens used to an instant-delivery, AI-enabled world will expect real-time service delivery [1].
• Selection should give priority to testing complex problem-solving and foresight [1].
• The UPSC Chairman's centenary vision stressed digital transformation [3].

Social

• The PM projected a more urbanised India by 2047 with a narrower rural–urban divide, which will raise youth expectations [1].
• The Chairman's centenary vision called for inclusivity [3].
• The PM called the centenary a "festival of the aspirations of millions of youths" [1].

Historical

• The body began under the British Raj in 1926 and shifted its focus to the dreams of a free nation after 1947 [1][5].
• The PM credited Patel with providing "the steel frame that was needed for the reconstruction of the nation" [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 2025: UPSC proposed the Centre of Excellence as part of the centenary programme [4].
• 1 Oct 2025: The Centenary Year began [2].
• Centenary Year: A new UPSC logo was unveiled [2][3].
• Centenary Year: The Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar, set out a centenary vision built on inclusivity and digital transformation [3].
• Centenary Year: The "My UPSC Interview: From Dream to Reality" portal was launched for serving and retired civil servants to share interview-board anecdotes. Entries closed on 31 Dec 2025, and a compilation is planned for 2026 [2].
• 1 Oct 2026: PM Modi addressed the centenary at Bharat Mandapam. A stamp, coin, and 100-case-law compilation were released [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The Public Service Commission was first set up in India on 1 October 1926 [5].
• It was set up on the recommendation of the Lee Commission (1924), following the GoI Act, 1919 [5].
• First Chairman: Sir Ross Barker, of the UK Home Civil Service [5].
• The original Commission had a Chairman + 4 Members [5].
• It became the Federal Public Service Commission in 1937 [5].
• It was named the UPSC on 26 January 1950 [5].
• Art. 315 provides for Union and State PSCs without formal linkage between them [6].
• Art. 316: UPSC member term is 6 years or age 65, whichever is earlier [7].
• Art. 320 covers functions; Art. 323 covers reports of PSCs [8][9].
• Centenary theme: "UPSC Marking 100 Years of Commitment to Merit and Public Service" [2].
• The centenary event venue was Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (1 Oct 2026) [1].
• Centenary releases: postage stamp, special coin, 100 significant case laws [1].
• The new UPSC logo has a wreath of banyan leaves around the national emblem [2][3].
• The "My UPSC Interview: From Dream to Reality" portal is a centenary initiative [2].
• The PM's three governance principles: Pro-People, Pro-Active, Good Governance [1].

8. Can an Exam Really Test Motivation?

• The PM's main idea is hard to turn into a marking scheme
• He wants selection to check whether a candidate wants public service or only public office [1].
• Knowledge can be marked as right or wrong. Motivation cannot. Any written statement that earns marks becomes something candidates can rehearse and coaching can teach.

• Today the personality test (interview) is the only stage that looks at the person and not just their answers. It is also the most subjective stage. A heavier motivation test would put more weight on the stage that is hardest to check.

• The PM's own proposal quietly avoids this problem

• He suggested that trainee officers, who are already selected, write down why they joined, so they can compare it with their conduct later [1].
• That record carries no marks, so there is no reason to fake it. It works as a mirror, not as a filter.

• For an answer, this is a useful line: motivation is easier to track after entry than to measure at entry.

• The current exam already selects a narrow type of candidate

• In 2023 the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel noted that around 70% of civil services recruits selected by UPSC come from the technical stream (engineering, medicine and similar degrees) [13].
• The UPSC Chairman's centenary vision asked for inclusivity [3]. A test of motivation and foresight should also be checked for one thing: does it widen the pool of recruits, or does it favour the same well-coached group again?

9. Where UPSC's Independence Has Gaps

• The government can take some posts out of UPSC's hands
• Under Art. 320, the government must consult UPSC on recruitment, promotion and disciplinary matters. But the article also allows the President to make regulations that list matters where UPSC need not be consulted [8].
• The UPSC (Exemption from Consultation) Regulations were issued on 1 September 1958. UPSC keeps a running list of posts and services removed from its purview since then [11].

• So the "merit" in UPSC's centenary theme [2] applies only to the posts the government chooses to leave with UPSC.

• UPSC's advice can be rejected. Only an explanation is needed

• Under Art. 323, UPSC reports to the President every year. The government must place that report before Parliament along with a memorandum (a written note) giving reasons for every case where it did not accept UPSC's advice [9].
• This shames the government but does not bind it. The final decision stays with the government.

• UPSC's own annual reports have a separate chapter on "Delays in Implementing Advice of the Commission" [12]. Even advice that is accepted is not always acted on quickly.

• Why this matters for the centenary story

• The speech praised UPSC as a "premier pillar" [1]. Its strength, however, comes from convention and public trust more than from legal power.
• In disciplinary cases this matters most. A delay or rejection there decides whether an officer is punished, or cleared.

10. A Slow Exam for a Fast-Moving Job

• The PM wants speed, but the exam itself is slow
• He said citizens used to an instant, AI-enabled world will expect real-time service, and that officers must solve problems before they arise [1].
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee (Chair: Sushil Kumar Modi, August 2023) found that a UPSC recruitment takes six months to one year to complete [13].

• The Committee recommended that each recruitment cycle take no more than six months [13].

• Why a long cycle costs the country, not just the candidate

• While an exam cycle runs, the posts it is filling stay vacant.

• Lakhs of young people spend their most productive years preparing for one exam that runs once a year. This is the same youth energy the PM called a "festival of aspirations" [1].

• New skills would make the exam longer, not shorter

• The PM listed deepfakes, algorithmic bias and climate justice as new tests for officers [1].
• Adding these to the syllabus, plus a motivation check, adds stages to an already long process. Reform has to cut time somewhere else, or the two goals will pull against each other.

11. Who Must Act Next, and How

• UPSC and DoPT: set a fixed six-month cycle
• DoPT is the Department of Personnel and Training, which handles civil service policy.

• The six-month limit is already on record as the Standing Committee's recommendation [13]. A centenary pledge to meet it would be a concrete first step.

• DoPT: review the 1958 exemption list

• Each post exempted from UPSC consultation is a post filled without UPSC's check [11].

• A review should ask whether each exemption still has a reason. Posts with no clear reason should go back to UPSC.

• Parliament: actually debate the Art. 323 memorandum

• The Constitution already makes the government explain each rejection of UPSC advice [9].

• The safeguard only works if MPs read and question these reasons. A Standing Committee hearing on the yearly report would put that into practice.

• UPSC and State PSCs: give the Centre of Excellence measurable goals

• The CoE is planned as a store of best practices [4]. It should share hard numbers (cycle length, vacancies filled, cases where advice was rejected) so that States can compare themselves.

• Use the 2nd ARC as the benchmark, not a fresh start

• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (set up 31 August 2005, Chair: Veerappa Moily) was asked to examine the refurbishing of personnel administration (the overhaul of how government hires and manages staff) [14].
• Any new recruitment reform should start from what the ARC proposed and what the government has already accepted, instead of opening the debate again.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: UPSC recruitment takes 6 months to 1 year; ~70% of UPSC civil services recruits come from the technical stream (Standing Committee, 2023) [13]
• Report/Committee: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Review of Functioning of Recruitment Organisations of Government of India (Aug 2023) [13]; Second ARC, Refurbishing of Personnel Administration [14]
• Law/Case: Art. 320 (consultation, and the power to exempt matters from it) [8]; UPSC (Exemption from Consultation) Regulations, 1958 [11]; Art. 323 (memorandum on advice not accepted) [9]

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: "Attitude… foundational values for Civil Service"; "Aptitude"; "Public service values"; "Probity in governance".
• GS-I (secondary): Post-independence consolidation (Patel and the steel frame).
• Possible question stems: 1. UPSC has kept its credibility across a century of changing governments and technologies. Examine the constitutional and institutional safeguards behind this, and suggest reforms for recruitment in the age of AI. (15 marks, GS-II) 2. 'Recruit for public service, not public office.' How can selection processes assess a candidate's motivation and foresight? Discuss with reference to Nagrik Devo Bhava. (GS-IV) 3. Article 315 provides for Union and State PSCs without formal linkage. Is there a case for institutional coordination among PSCs? Evaluate. (GS-II)

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• All India Services (Art. 312) and Patel's "steel frame": the historical basis of the PM's address.
• Mission Karmayogi / capacity building: the training-side counterpart to recruitment reform.
• State PSCs and Art. 317 (removal of members): compare federal and state PSC independence.
• Lateral entry debate: UPSC's role and the reservation questions it raises.
• Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024: exam integrity in recruitment.
• 2nd ARC reports (Refurbishing Personnel Administration; Ethics in Governance): reform benchmarks.
• Viksit Bharat @2047: the policy frame behind the PM's call for recruitment reform.
• AI governance, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias: the new challenges the PM named.

15. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Founding year: The PSC was set up in 1926, not 1924 (Lee Commission) or 1919 (GoI Act). The UPSC name dates from 1950; it was the Federal PSC from 1937.
• Tenure: A UPSC member's age limit is 65. Do not confuse it with the State PSC limit (62 under Art. 316).
• Linkage: Art. 315 sets up no formal linkage between UPSC and State PSCs. The CoE is a voluntary best-practice repository, not a supervisory body.
• Nature of body: UPSC is a constitutional body, not statutory. Do not confuse it with the SSC, which is set up by executive resolution.
• Quote attribution: "Nagrik Devo Bhava" and "Pro-People, Pro-Active, Good Governance" come from the PM's address, not from UPSC's centenary theme.