UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Civil Servants for the East India Company used to be nominated by the Directors
of the Company and thereafter trained at Haileybury College in London and then sent to 
India. Following Lord Macaulay’s Report of the Select Committee of British Parliament, 
the concept of a merit based modern Civil Service in India was introduced in 1854. The 
Report recommended that patronage based system of East India Company should be 
replaced by a permanent Civil Service based on a merit based system with entry 
through competitive examinations. For this purpose, a Civil Service Commission was 
setup in 1854 in London and competitive examinations were started in 1855. Initially, 
the examinations for Indian Civil Service were conducted only in London. Maximum age 
was 23 years and minimum age was 18 years. The syllabus was designed such that 
European Classics had a predominant share of marks. All this made it difficult for Indian 
candidates. Nevertheless, in 1864, the first Indian, Shri Satyendranath Tagore brother 
of Shri Rabindaranath Tagore succeeded. Three years later 4 other Indians succeeded. 
Throughout the next 50 years, Indians petitioned for simultaneous examinations to be 
held in India without success because the British Government did not want many 
Indians to succeed and enter the ICS. It was only after the First World War and the 
Montagu Chelmsford reforms that this was agreed to. From 1922 onwards the Indian 
Civil Service Examination began to be held in India also, first in Allahabad and later in 
Delhi with the setting up of the Federal Public Service Commission. The Examination in 
London continued to be conducted by the Civil Service Commission.
Similarly, prior to independence superior police officers belonged to the Indian (Imperial) 
Police appointed by the Secretary of State by competitive examination. The first open 
competition for the service was held in England in June, 1893, and 10 top candidates 
were appointed as Probationary Assistant Superintendents of Police. Entry into Imperial 
Police was thrown open to Indians only after 1920 and the following year examinations 
for the service were conducted both in England and India. Indianisation of the police 
service continued to be very slow despite pronouncement and recommendations of the 
Islington Commission and the Lee Commission. Till 1931, Indians were appointed 
against 20% of the total posts of Superintendents of Police. However, because of non 
availability of the suitable European candidates, more Indians were appointed to the 
Indian Police from the year 1939 onwards.
Regarding Forest Service, British India Government started the Imperial Forest 
Department in 1864 and to organize the affairs of the Imperial Forest Department, 
Imperial Forest Service was constituted in 1867. From 1867 to 1885, the officers 
appointed to Imperial Forest Service were trained in France and Germany. Till 1905, 
they were trained at Coopers Hill, London. In 1920, it was decided that further 
recruitment to the Imperial Forest Service would be made by direct recruitment in 
England and India and by promotion from the provincial service in India. After
independence, the Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 under All India Service 
Act 1951.