Union Public Service Commission

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body tasked with recruiting officers for All India Services and the Central Civil Services (Group A and B) through various standardized examinations. In 2023, 1.3 million applicants competed for just 1,255 positions.

The agency's charter is granted by Part XIV of the Constitution of India, titled Services Under the Union and the States. The commission is mandated by the Constitution for appointments to the services of the Union and All India Services. It is also required to be consulted by the Government in matters relating to appointment, transfer, promotion, and disciplinary matters. The commission reports directly to the President. The commission can advise the Government through the president, although, such advice is not binding. Being a constitutional authority, UPSC is amongst the few institutions that function with both autonomy and freedom, along with the country’s higher judiciary and lately the Election Commission.

The commission is headquartered at Dholpur House, in New Delhi, and functions through its secretariat. Established on 1 October 1926 as Public Service Commission, it was later reconstituted as Federal Public Service Commission by the Government of India Act 1935; only to be renamed as today's Union Public Service Commission after the independence.