BharatNotes Every major state has a Public Service Commission that conducts its own civil services exam; around 28 such commissions operate across India.
Every Indian state has a Public Service Commission (PSC) mandated by the Constitution to recruit officers for state civil services. The major ones relevant to UPSC aspirants are:
| Abbreviation | Full Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| UPPSC | Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission | Uttar Pradesh |
| BPSC | Bihar Public Service Commission | Bihar |
| MPPSC | Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission | Madhya Pradesh |
| RPSC | Rajasthan Public Service Commission | Rajasthan |
| MPSC | Maharashtra Public Service Commission | Maharashtra |
| WBPSC | West Bengal Public Service Commission | West Bengal |
| GPSC | Gujarat Public Service Commission | Gujarat |
| KPSC | Karnataka Public Service Commission | Karnataka |
| APPSC | Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission | Andhra Pradesh |
| TSPSC | Telangana Public Service Commission | Telangana |
Each commission conducts a Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services exam (called PCS, CCE, RAS, KAS, etc. depending on the state) to fill Group A and Group B gazetted officer posts such as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Block Development Officer (BDO), and similar roles. The selection process universally follows a three-stage pattern: Prelims (objective), Mains (descriptive), and Interview (personality test).
For UPSC aspirants, the most strategically valuable exams to attempt simultaneously are UPPSC (largest state, highest vacancies), BPSC (high vacancies, straightforward pattern), and RPSC RAS (well-structured, good career prospects).
