Under which Government of India Act was a Public Service Commission first established at the national level in India?

Introduction / Context:
The Public Service Commission is a crucial institution that ensures independent and merit based recruitment for government services. In India, this institution did not always exist in its present form. Instead, it was introduced gradually through colonial legislation. This question asks which specific Government of India Act first provided for the establishment of a Public Service Commission at the national level.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question demands identification of the act that first established a Public Service Commission in India.
Four acts are provided: two Government of India Acts and two Indian Councils Acts.
The learner is assumed to know the chronological order and main features of these acts.
Only conceptual historical knowledge is required; no numerical work is involved.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall the sequence of constitutional developments under British rule. The Indian Councils Acts of 1892 and 1909 mainly expanded legislative councils and introduced limited representative elements. The Government of India Act, 1919 known as the Montagu Chelmsford reforms, introduced dyarchy in provinces and included provisions for a Public Service Commission. A central Public Service Commission was actually set up in 1926 under these provisions. The later Government of India Act, 1935 further developed federal structures but did not introduce the Commission for the first time. Therefore, the act that first provided for a Public Service Commission was the Government of India Act, 1919.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the acts in chronological order: Indian Councils Act, 1892; Indian Councils Act, 1909; Government of India Act, 1919; Government of India Act, 1935. Step 2: Recall that the 1892 and 1909 acts focused mainly on legislative councils and limited electoral reforms. Step 3: Remember that the Government of India Act, 1919 introduced dyarchy and also contained provisions for establishing a Public Service Commission. Step 4: Note that a central Public Service Commission actually started functioning in 1926 under the authority of this act. Step 5: Understand that the Government of India Act, 1935 reorganised provincial autonomy and proposed a federal structure but did not first introduce the Commission. Step 6: From this sequence and the known features, conclude that the correct answer is Government of India Act, 1919.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, one can consult timelines in standard Indian polity books where the establishment of the Public Service Commission in 1926 is clearly linked to provisions in the Government of India Act, 1919. These sources usually mention that this commission was the precursor to the present Union Public Service Commission. They do not attribute this development to either the earlier Indian Councils Acts or the later Government of India Act, 1935 in terms of first introduction. This consistent account across references supports the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Government of India Act, 1935: Important for provincial autonomy and federal features but not the first to provide for a Public Service Commission.
Indian Councils Act, 1909: Known as the Morley Minto reforms, mainly related to legislative councils and separate electorates, not to a Public Service Commission.
Indian Councils Act, 1892: Introduced modest changes in council composition but did not create any Public Service Commission.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners may confuse the 1919 and 1935 acts because both are major constitutional milestones. Another pitfall is to focus mainly on political reforms like dyarchy and federal schemes while overlooking administrative developments such as the creation of a Public Service Commission. To avoid this, aspirants should study structured tables summarising each act, including key administrative, political and institutional changes. Remembering that the Commission began functioning in 1926 under the 1919 act helps firmly link the correct act with this institution.

Final Answer:
A Public Service Commission was first established at the national level in India under the Government of India Act, 1919.