Till 1853, all the appointments to the Civil Services were made by the Directors of the East India Company, who placate the members of the Board of Control by letting them make some of the nominations. Finally, by the Charter Act of 1853, it was announced that all the recruits to the Civil Services were to be selected through a competitive examination.

Note: The Charter Act of 1853 renewed the powers of the Company and allowed it to retain possession of the Indian territories. However, this Charter Act did not grant commercial privileges for the specific period of time. Rather, it did not mention any time period. The Charter Act of 1853 provided that the salaries of the members of the Board of Control, its Secretary and other officers would be fixed by the British government, but would be paid by the Company.