Know What’s The Controversy Over UPSC’s Latest Ad On Lateral Entry Recruitments To 24 Central Ministries

New Delhi: After the Union Service Public Commission (UPSC) on Saturday issued an advertisement to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries across 24 Central Ministries through lateral entry on contract basis or deputation, the Opposition leaders alleged that the Centre was trying to bypass the reservation policies by doing so.

The lateral entry recruitment was advertised for 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors/deputy secretaries posts. According to the ad, the posts are required to be filled by September 17.

Individuals having appropriate qualifications and experience from State/UT governments, PSUs, statutory organisations, research institutes and universities, and even the private sector are eligible to apply for the advertised posts. The ad also cites that all posts are “suitable for candidates belonging to the category of Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD).” But, opposition leaders have criticised the drive for not having reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates.

What is ‘lateral entry’ into the bureaucracy?

In 2017, NITI Aayog, in its three-year Action Agenda, and the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance report had suggested the induction of personnel at middle and senior management levels in the central government. These ‘lateral entrants’ will be part of the central secretariat. So far, the central secretariat had only bureaucrats from the All India Services/ Central Civil Services. The lateral entrants would be hired on contracts for three years, extendable up to five years.

Why does Centre want lateral entries?

The Centre has argued that by hiring lateral entrants it intends to tap into individuals’ domain expertise and specialised know-how, regardless of whether they are career bureaucrats or not.

Minister of State for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Jitendra Singh had informed Rajya Sabha in 2019 that “lateral recruitment is aimed at achieving the twin objectives of bringing in fresh talent as well as augment the availability of manpower”.

On August 8 this year, Singh told the upper house, “Keeping in view their specialized knowledge and expertise in the domain area, lateral recruitment at the level of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in Government of India, has been undertaken to appoint persons for specific assignments.”

How many lateral entry appointments made so far?

The first round of hirings began in 2018. A total of 6,077 applications for Joint Secretary-level posts were received by the UPSC in 2018. After a selection process, the UPSC recommended nine individuals for appointment to nine different Ministries/Departments in 2019.

Another round of lateral recruitment was advertised in 2021. Two more rounds were advertised in May 2023. On August 9 this year, Singh told the Upper House “63 appointments have been made through lateral entry… in the last five years. Presently, 57 officers [lateral entrants] occupy positions in Ministries/ Departments.”

What is the opposition saying?

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the lateral entries were a “part of a well-planned conspiracy”. On social media platform, X, he mentioned “the BJP is deliberately making such recruitments in jobs so that SC, ST, OBC categories can be kept away from reservation”.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav condemned the move as a “dirty joke.” He alleged that had the 45 advertised appointments been made through the civil services examination, “nearly half of the openings would be reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates”.

BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said the policy deprives directly recruited employees working at lower-level posts, as they will not benefit from promotions.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav said in a post, “The time has come to launch a nationwide movement against the conspiracy being hatched by the BJP to place its ideological allies in high government positions through the back door in UPSC. This method will close the doors for today’s officers as well as for the youth to reach higher positions in the present and future”. He termed it a “plan” to take away reservations from what he calls the PDA communities (Pichde, meaning backward classes or OBCs, Dalits, Alpasankhyak or minorities).