RAS question
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) is constituted under which Article?
Correct answer: (C) Article 315.
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission is constituted under Article 315 of the Constitution of India, which provides for a Public Service Commission for the Union and for each State.
Explanation
Article 315 is the constitutional basis for the Rajasthan Public Service Commission because it provides that, subject to that article, there shall be a Public Service Commission for the Union and a Public Service Commission for each State. RPSC is Rajasthan's State Public Service Commission, so its constitutional footing comes from Article 315, not from the articles dealing with elections, finance, or PSC functions. The distinction matters because the Constitution separates the creation of the commission from what the commission does. Article 320 later sets out duties such as conducting examinations for appointments to State services, but Article 315 is the provision that establishes the State-level commission itself.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Article 324 is about the Election Commission's superintendence, direction and control over elections, not the constitution of a State Public Service Commission.
- (B) Article 280 provides for the Finance Commission constituted by the President, so it does not create RPSC or any State Public Service Commission.
- (D) Article 320 deals with the functions and duties of Public Service Commissions, whereas the question asks for the article under which the commission is constituted.
Concept
This tests the constitutional bodies segment of Rajasthan polity, especially the difference between an institution's creation and its functions. It recurs in RAS because State Public Service Commissions sit at the intersection of constitutional provisions and Rajasthan's administrative recruitment system.