Under the Constitution of India, who appoints the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission?

Introduction / Context:
Public Service Commissions are important constitutional bodies responsible for recruitment to civil services at the Union and State levels. The Constitution lays down clear provisions for their composition, appointment and removal to ensure independence and impartiality. This question asks who appoints the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission, testing your knowledge of the constitutional framework for these institutions.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is about a State Public Service Commission, not the Union Public Service Commission.
- The options include the Chief Minister of the State, the Governor of the State, the Chief Justice of the High Court and the Vice President of India.
- The relevant Constitutional provisions are mainly in Articles 315 to 323.
- It is assumed that the learner understands that appointment powers for constitutional officers are often vested in the Governor or President, rather than in the Chief Minister or judges.

Concept / Approach:
Article 316 of the Constitution of India states that the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission are appointed by the Governor of the State. The Governor acts in a constitutional capacity, usually on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, but formally the appointment order is issued in the Governor's name. Neither the Chief Minister nor the Chief Justice of the High Court nor the Vice President has the formal power to make such appointments. The approach is to recall this specific provision and identify the Governor as the appointing authority.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that State Public Service Commissions are created under Article 315 and that Article 316 deals with appointment and term of office of members. Step 2: Article 316 specifies that the Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission shall be appointed by the Governor of the State. Step 3: The Chief Minister heads the Council of Ministers and may advise the Governor, but the formal appointment power is not vested directly in the Chief Minister. Step 4: The Chief Justice of the High Court has no constitutional role in appointing members of the State Public Service Commission; the judiciary is separate from this process. Step 5: The Vice President of India is a Union level office and does not appoint officials to State constitutional bodies such as State Public Service Commissions. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is that the Governor of the State appoints the Chairman and members of the State Public Service Commission.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by reading Article 316 in any authoritative text of the Constitution or a standard polity textbook. It clearly states that the Governor appoints the Chairman and other members of the State Public Service Commission. The same sources also explain that the removal process involves the President in certain circumstances, but the initial appointment is in the Governor's domain. The absence of any mention of the Chief Minister, Chief Justice or Vice President in this context confirms that the Governor is the correct appointing authority.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Chief Minister of the State, is wrong because although the Chief Minister is the political head of the State government, the constitutional power to appoint the Commission's members is formally given to the Governor.

Option C, Chief Justice of the High Court, is wrong because the judiciary does not appoint members of the State Public Service Commission; its role is separate from the executive and constitutional appointment functions in this context.

Option D, Vice President of India, is wrong because the Vice President is a Union level authority, mainly associated with the Rajya Sabha, and does not appoint State Public Service Commission members.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to assume that because the Chief Minister is the main executive authority in the State, the Chief Minister must directly appoint all important State officials. Another error is to confuse the role of the Governor with that of the President or to overlook the specific Constitutional Article that spells out the appointment power. To avoid these mistakes, students should remember that for State Public Service Commissions, appointment is by the Governor under Article 316, and removal in certain situations involves the President, reflecting a balance between State and Union involvement.

Final Answer:
The Chairman and other members of a State Public Service Commission are appointed by the Governor of the State.