Lateral entrance into government ministries, which sparked political controversy earlier this year due to the lack of reservations for these positions, will be investigated by a parliamentary committee.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice will examine the topic in 2024–2025, according to a statement released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Under the lateral entry program, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) posted 45 contractual openings in August, with 10 of them for joint secretaries and 35 for directors and deputy secretaries. Discussions about the move’s fairness and applicability were rekindled when opposition parties and even some NDA supporters criticized it.
Lateral entry, initiated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has traditionally brought in professionals such as Mantosh Sodhi, who climbed to become the secretary of heavy industry, and V. Krishnamurthy, the architect of the success of PSUs like as BHEL and SAIL. Critics contend that given the wide skills available through normal UPSC recruitment—which includes MBAs, engineers, physicians, and tech-savvy candidates—existing staff can handle administrative requirements.
Proponents feel that lateral entry may bring a results-oriented approach to a bureaucracy that is frequently regarded as process-driven and outmoded. They advocate for reforms to move away from colonial-era methods and toward contemporary governance models that emphasize results above inflexible norms.
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Source: Education Times
