The estimates committee in the parliament recommended the setting up of a Service Selection Commission in its 47th report (1967–68) for conducting examinations to recruit lower categories of posts. Later, in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, on 4 November 1975 government of India constituted a commission called Subordinate Service Commission. On 26 September 1977, the Subordinate Services Commission was renamed as Staff Selection Commission. The functions of the Staff Selection Commission were redefined by the government of India through Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and on 21 May 1999. Then the new constitution and functions of the Staff Selection Commission came into effect from 1 June 1999. Every year conducts the Combined Graduate Level Examination for recruiting non-gazetted officers to various government jobs.^[2]

The commission is headed by a Chairman^[5] and two members after him. Besides, there are one Secretary, one Director, one Deputy Secretary, two Joint Directors, nine Under Secretaries, four Deputy Directors, one Finance & Budget Officer, one Assistant Director (OL), 24 Section Officers and more than 183 supporting officers/staff are at the Headquarters for discharging the duties and responsibilities of the Commission ^[6]

Staff Selection Commission has its headquarters located at CGO Complex in New Delhi. At present, it has seven Regional offices at Prayagraj, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Bangalore and New Delhi. It also has two Sub-regional offices at Raipur and Chandigarh.^[7]

Each regional office is headed by a Regional Director and each Sub-Regional office is headed by a Deputy Director.^[6]

Regional Offices edit

The Function of the commission are as follows:^[8]

1. To make Recruitment to (i) all Group “B” Posts in the various Ministries/Departments of the Govt. of India and their Attached and Subordinate Offices which are in the pay scales the maximum of which is Rs.10,500 or below and (ii) all non-technical Group “C” posts in the various Ministries/Departments of the Govt. of India and their Attached and Subordinate Offices, except those posts which are specifically exempt from the purview of the Staff Selection Commission.
2. To conduct examinations and/or interviews, whenever required for recruitment to the posts within its purview. The examinations would be held as far as possible at different centres and successful candidates posted, to the extent possible, to their home State/Region.
3. To hold Open Competitive Examinations for recruitment to the posts of:
   1. Lower Division Clerks in the various Ministries/Departments, Attached and Subordinate Offices of the Government of India
   2. Grade “C” and Grade ‘D” Stenographers
   3. Assistants in the various Ministries/Departments including Attached and Subordinate Offices of the Government of India
   4. Inspectors of Central Excise in different Collectorates of Central Excise, Inspectors of Income-Tax in different charges of the Commissioners of Income-Tax, Preventive Officers and Examiners in different Custom Houses, Assistant Enforcement Officers in Directorate of Enforcement;
   5. Sub-Inspectors in , Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Police Organisations;
   6. Divisional Accountants, Auditors and Accountants under the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India and other Accounts Departments and Upper Division Clerks in Attached and Subordinate Offices of the Government of India.
   7. Junior Engineer (Civil & Electrical) in CPWD
   8. Statistical Investigators, Grade IV of Subordinate Statistical Service (SSC)
   9. Tax Assistant ( a Group C non – Gazetted)
   10. Section Officers in various Departments
4. The Commission also holds Departmental Examination for promotion from:
   1. Group “D” to Lower Division Clerk Grade
   2. Lower Divisional Clerks to Upper Divisional Clerks
   3. Stenographers Grade “D” to Stenographers Grade “C
5. The Commission prepares schemes for recruitment to all Group “B” posts which are in the pay scale of Rs 9300 to 34800 with a grade pay of Rs 42000 or below and Group “C” non-technical posts
6. The Commission conducts examinations/selections for recruitment to all Group “B” posts which are in the pay scales the maximum of which is Rs.10, 500 or below and all Group “C” non-technical posts
7. The Commission performs such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central Govt. from time to time.

Staff Selection Commission currently functions as a subordinate office of DOPT and is mainly engaged in conducting competitive exams for recruitment to various posts in the Staff Selection Commission departments, organizations. In the previous years, Staff Selection Commission has conducted various exams as given below

• SSC Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL)
• SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level (SSC CHSL)
• SSC Stenographer C & D (SSC Stenographer)
• SSC Multitasking Staff (SSC MTS)
• SSC Junior Engineer (SSC JE)
• SSC Junior Hindi Translator (SSC JHT)
• SSC General Duty Constable (SSC GD)
• SSC Central Police Organization & SI (SSC CPO)
• SSC Selection Post

• List of Public service commissions in India

• Official website