Vijayawada: The 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Damodar Gautam Sawang, who was due to retire on July 31, next year, has been appointed the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APSC). He was removed as the DGP of state police on February 15 to be replaced by KV Rajendranath Reddy, an IPS officer of 1992 batch, who has assumed the charge of DGP, Andhra Pradesh Police.

The AP Public Service Commission came into existence on November 1, 1956 with the formation of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Before this, there was Andhra Public Service Commission in the Andhra State and Hyderabad Public Service Commission in the Hyderabad State. Andhra Service Commission came into existence only in 1953 after the bifurcation of composite Madras state into Andhra and Madras States.

On the eve of formation of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission, Andhra Public Service Commission was functioning with a Chairman and two Members and Hyderabad Public Service Commission was functioning with one Member. Hence, the AP Public Service Commission was constituted with a Chairman and three members. With increasing workload, the government enhanced the members as five in the year 1981 and later to Chairman and seven members in the year 1983. The government again reviewed the strength in 1994 and enhanced it to Chairman and nine members. /BI/