What is Lateral Entry?
The Union Public Service Commission of India has recently announced that it will conduct recruitment through lateral entry (What is Lateral Entry?) for the posts of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary, which has come under heavy criticism.
The argument of the opposition parties is that this will weaken the reservation rights. Now the central government has withdrawn the advertisement in this regard.
When was the first proposal?
The first Administrative Reforms Commission, established in 1966, was initially led by Morarji Desai and Anantara K. Hanumantayya’s presidency laid the foundation for discussions on the need for specialized skills in the civil services. Although it did not specifically advocate recruitment, it emphasized the importance of professionalization, training and reforms to meet the changing demands of the nation.
The concept of lateral entry was first introduced by the Congress-led UPA government. It was also supported by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) set up in 2005 under the chairmanship of Veerappa Moily.
What does ARC say about lateral entry?
There are some important facts to know about lateral entry mentioned by Veerappa Moily.
Some government posts require specialized knowledge which is not available in civil services. To address this, ARC recommends recruiting professionals from the private industry, academia and public sector sectors.
ARC proposes to establish a talent pool of experts to fill government posts on short-term or contract basis to enhance government capabilities. Its argument is that it infuses new perspectives and expertise in fields such as economics, finance, technology and public policy.
The Commission emphasized the need for a transparent and merit-based selection process for lateral entrants and suggested the creation of a dedicated agency to handle the recruitment and monitoring of these professionals.
ARC recommends implementing a robust performance management system to ensure that lateral entrants are held accountable for their contributions and regularly evaluate their performance.
The ARC also emphasized the importance of integrating lateral entries into the civil service framework to maintain the integrity and values of the civil service using specialized skills.
What is lateral entry?
Abandoning the traditional recruitment process and hiring outsiders to fill middle and senior level positions.
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It was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the first time, the vacancies under this recruitment were announced in 2018. Candidates are usually appointed on contract basis for three to five years. There is a possibility of extension based on performance.
What is its purpose?
Its main objective is to recruit experts from various fields to meet the challenges of governance and policy implementation.
The controversy started
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued an advertisement seeking applications for lateral recruitment for a total of 45 senior posts including Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in 24 Ministries of the Central Government.
Directors, Administrative Heads of various departments, State and Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Statutory Bodies, Research Institutes, University and Private Sector candidates with suitable qualification and experience can apply for these posts.
Reservation in public employment and universities is implemented through the 13-point roster policy. It is clear that there are no compulsory reservations for first, second, third, fifth and sixth posts in a department.
Why the opposition from the opposition?
Opposition leaders are clearly against it. Because they are arguing that if this is implemented, there will be a lack of reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes. But the government advocates a tool that brings in special talent and expertise.
The Modi government is using a back door to recruit officials loyal to the BJP’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that BJP’s twisted version of utopia is trying to destroy the Constitution and take away reservation from the masses.
Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge said lateral entry was part of a ‘well-planned conspiracy’ to exclude lower caste communities from government jobs.
Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati have also condemned it, complaining that it deprives backward candidates of opportunities to advance within the government.
What is BJP’s argument?
The BJP has countered these criticisms by pointing out that the concept of lateral entry was developed during the Congress-led UPA government.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav responded by saying that the hypocrisy of the Congress on the issue of lateral entry is clear. It was the UPA government that developed the concept of lateral entry. The second Administrative Reforms Commission was set up in 2005 under the UPA government DoPT said that he presided over it.
In the last five years, 63 recruitments have been made through lateral entry. DoPT Minister of State Jitendra Singh said that currently 57 lateral entries are occupying positions in various ministries and departments.