Lateral entry

Lateral entry entrance ad cancelled: Jitendra Singh writes to the UPSC chairperson to cancel the lateral entry advertisement as directed by PM Modi.

Lateral entrance ad cancelled: Jitendra Singh writes to the UPSC chairperson to cancel the lateral entry advertisement as directed by PM Modi.

The UPSC last Saturday advertised for 45 posts – 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries – to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. This scheme is aimed at appointing specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.

“While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open,” the letter went on to state.

“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,” according to the statement.

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.

According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, lateral entry into bureaucracy has occurred since the 1970s under Congress-led governments, with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia serving as famous instances.

Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal chastised Rahul Gandhi for claiming that the government was attempting to circumvent the reservation system, reminding the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha that Manmohan Singh was appointed finance secretary in 1976 via the lateral entrance process.

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.