Article 318

Regulations Governing Conditions of Service of PSC Members and Staff

Official heading: “Power to make regulations as to conditions of service of members and staff of the Commission”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part XIV, Article 318, printed pages 179–180
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

Open official PDF at this article Report a text or source error

AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.

1. In One Sentence

Empowers the President or State Governor to make regulations determining the strength, staff, and service conditions of the Commission, prohibiting detrimental changes during tenure.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 318 allows the executive to determine the number of members of the Commission and regulate their salaries and staff.

Regulations for the UPSC and Joint Commissions are made by the President; regulations for State Commissions are made by the State Governor.

The proviso contains a critical safeguard: the conditions of service of a member cannot be varied to their disadvantage after appointment, preventing financial coercion.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A State government passes a regulation reducing the salary and pension entitlements of sitting State PSC members midway through their six-year term.

Core takeaway: The regulation violates the proviso to Article 318, which guarantees that service conditions cannot be degraded during a member’s tenure.

Illustrative Notice: The government can modify conditions of service for future appointees, but sitting members are constitutionally protected.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 318 balances administrative regulation with financial immunity for Commission members.

Regulatory authority: President for UPSC/Joint Commissions; Governors for State Commissions.
Staff regulation: Covers both Commission members and administrative secretariat staff.
Non-diminution proviso: Compensation and service conditions cannot be reduced to a sitting member’s disadvantage.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

In the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, the President and, in the case of a State Commission, the Governor of the State may by regulations— (a) determine the number of members of the Commission and their conditions of service; and (b) make provision with respect to the number of members of the staff of the Commission and their conditions of service: Provided that the conditions of service of a member of a Public Service Commission shall not be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

•
Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XIV, Article 318, printed pages 179–180 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource