Public Service Commissions play pivotal role in shaping quality of governance: Vice Prez

Hyderabad, Dec 20 (PTI) Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday said Public Service Commissions play a pivotal role in shaping the quality, integrity and effectiveness of the country's governance systems.

The vice president, who addressed the valedictory session of the National Conference of Chairpersons of State Public Service Commissions (PSCs) here, observed that even isolated irregularities can undermine institutional credibility and called for zero tolerance towards malpractice in public examinations.

Highlighting the importance of ethical standards, he said impartiality is the moral foundation of public recruitment and that transparency, anonymised evaluation and objective marking systems are essential to eliminate bias.

As the country progresses towards the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047' (developed India), the quality of governance, and more importantly, the quality of people who run institutions, would be decisive, he said.

He described Public Service Commissions as constitutional institutions entrusted with the critical responsibility of selecting competent, impartial and ethical individuals to serve the nation, an official release said.

The Vice President said the independence of PSCs, as enshrined in the Constitution, has been central to safeguarding merit, fairness and transparency in public recruitment.

Over the decades, he said, the Commissions at the Union and State levels have strengthened public confidence by ensuring administrative continuity, institutional stability and impartial selection of civil servants.

Stressing that recruitment alone cannot ensure lifelong excellence, Radhakrishnan said performance appraisal, vigilant oversight and periodic review mechanisms must be applied objectively and transparently to safeguard institutional integrity.

He said character and ethical conduct are foundational to nation-building and public trust.

The vice-president also emphasised that effective governance today requires civil servants with strong ethical judgment, emotional intelligence, leadership ability and teamwork, in addition to academic competence.

He suggested that PSCs may explore fair and structured assessments of behavioural and ethical competencies alongside knowledge-based examinations. He also said merit must not only be upheld but seen to be upheld.

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the conference on December 19. PTI SJR SJR ADB