Amid Political Row, Govt Directs UPSC to Cancel Lateral Entry Ads

New Delhi: The Minister of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday requested the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry positions. This move comes in response to direct instructions from the Prime Minister. The government direction comes after an advertisement, which was issued three days ago, sought applications from “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for 45 senior positions, including Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary across 24 ministries of the Union government. 

Notable vacancies included positions such as Joint Secretary for Digital Economy, FinTech, Cyber Security, and Investment in the Finance Ministry, as well as Joint Secretary (Policy and Plan) in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The decision has elicited mixed reactions within the BJP-led NDA coalition. The Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have voiced opposition to the move, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has expressed support, arguing that lateral entry would enhance the quality of governance and improve service delivery to citizens.

Lateral Entry Into Bureaucracy

Lateral entry into the bureaucracy referred to the practice of recruiting individuals from outside traditional government service cadres to fill mid and senior-level positions. This initiative was officially introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, with the first vacancies announced in 2018. Typically, candidates are appointed on contracts lasting from three to five years, with the possibility of extensions based on performance. The aim is to tackle complex governance and policy challenges using external expertise.

The concept of lateral entry has historical roots. It was first recommended by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), which was established in 2005 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Congress. Chaired by Veerappa Moily, the ARC proposed lateral entry as a means to fill roles that require specialized knowledge not available within traditional civil services. The recommendations included recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to improve governance and policy implementation.

Controversy Surrounding Lateral Entry

The debate over lateral entry gained momentum when the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertised for 45 senior positions, such as joint secretary, director, and deputy secretary, across 24 Union ministries. These roles are critical for decision-making and administration within government departments. Candidates from state/UT governments, PSUs, statutory organizations, research institutes, universities, and the private sector are eligible to apply.

Regarding reservation policies, the 13-point roster policy governs public jobs and universities. However, a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) circular clarifies that mandatory reservations do not apply to appointments made through deputation. The process of lateral entry is seen as similar to deputation in this context. According to the DoPT files, “In a single post cadre, reservation does not apply. Since each post to be filled under this scheme [lateral entry] is a Single Post, reservation is not applicable.”