Article 316 Constitution: Appointment and term of office of members

PART XIV SERVICES UNDER THE UNION AND THE STATES · CHAPTER II.— PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONS

Article 316: Appointment and term of office of members

(1) The Chairman and other members of a Public Service Commission shall be appointed, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, by the President, and in the case of a State Commission, by the Governor of the State:

Provided that as nearly as may be one-half of the members of every Public Service Commission shall be persons who at the dates of their respective appointments have held office for at least ten years either under the Government of India or under the Government of a State, and in computing the said period of ten years any period before the commencement of this Constitution during which a person has held office under the Crown in India or under the Government of an Indian State shall be included.

¹[(1A) If the office of the Chairman of the Commission becomes vacant or if any such Chairman is by reason of absence or for any other reason unable to perform the duties of his office, those duties shall, until some person appointed under clause (1) to the vacant office has entered on the duties thereof or, as the case may be, until the Chairman has resumed his duties, be performed by such one of the other members of the Commission as the President, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, and the Governor of the State in the case of a State Commission, may appoint for the purpose.]

(2) A member of a Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains, in the case of the Union Commission, the age of sixty-five years, and in the case of a State Commission or a Joint Commission, the age of ²[sixty-two years], whichever is earlier:

Provided that—

(a) a member of a Public Service Commission may, by writing under his hand addressed, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, to the President, and in the case of a State Commission, to the Governor ³*** of the State, resign his office;

(b) a member of a Public Service Commission may be removed from his office in the manner provided in clause (1) or clause (3) of article 317. (3) A person who holds office as a member of a Public Service Commission shall, on the expiration of his term of office, be ineligible for re-appointment to that office.

Footnotes in the official text

1.Ins. by the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act, 1963, s. 11 (w.e.f. 5-10-1963).
2.Subs. by the Constitution (Forty-first Amendment) Act, 1976, s. 2, for "sixty years" (w.e.f. 7-9- 1976).
3.The words "or Rajpramukh" omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1956).

Questions on this article

6 questions in 15 of our papers cite Article 316. Try these from the free papers:

1. A member of a State Public Service Commission is alleged to have committed misbehaviour. Under Article 317(1), he may be removed from office by:
2. Under Article 316(2), a member of a State Public Service Commission holds office for a term of:
3. Consider the following statements about Public Service Commissions: 1. A member, on the expiration of his term, is ineligible for re-appointment to that office. 2. As nearly as may be, one-half of the members must have held office for at least ten years under the Government of India or of a State. 3. A member may be removed by the President if he engages during his term in paid employment outside the duties of his office. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?