New Delhi, Aug 20: Union Minister Jitendra Singh today wrote to the head of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), asking the civil service body to cancel its advertisement for lateral entry.
Mr Singh’s letter, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions, called for a need for lateral entry to align with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning the provision of reservations.
The UPSC recently issued an advertisement seeking “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for lateral recruitment to various senior positions within the Union government. These positions include Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries, with a total of 45 posts up for grabs.
This move has triggered a debate on lateral entry into bureaucracy, especially after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent criticism of the process, which the BJP has countered by pointing out that the concept was initially developed under a Congress-led government.
“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 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.
