Union Minister Jitendra Singh wrote to the chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, on Tuesday to delete the lateral entrance advertising, as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Last Saturday, the UPSC advertised for 45 positions – 10 as joint secretaries and 35 as directors/deputy secretaries – to be filled through lateral entry on a contract basis. This plan aims to employ specialists (including those from the commercial sector) to government ministries.
“While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favoritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open,” the letter read.
“The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation,” it added.
The move comes a day after Bharatiya Janata Party ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation, as the political row over lateral entry escalated, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging it was an “attack” on the Dalits, OBCs and adivasis.
The Centre, on its part, accused the Congress of making misleading claims on the biggest tranche of lateral recruitment in bureaucracy being undertaken by it, and asserted that the move will not affect the recruitment of SC/STs in the all India services.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said lateral entry in bureaucracy has been happening since the 1970s during the Congress-led governments and former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia were prominent examples of such initiatives taken in the past.
Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal hit out at Rahul Gandhi for his claim that the government was trying to bypass the reservation system, reminding the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha that Manmohan Singh was made the finance secretary in 1976 through the lateral entry route. “You started lateral entry. Prime Minister Modi made it methodical,” he told news agency PTI.
What is Lateral Entry?
Lateral entry into bureaucracy refers to the recruitment of individuals from outside the traditional government service cadres, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), to fill mid and senior-level positions in government departments.
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Source: HT
