National Desk
24 November
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
A parliamentary committee will examine the issue of ‘lateral entry’ in civil services, a process used to recruit experts for key government posts. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice has included this subject in its agenda for 2024-25, as announced by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
In August, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertised 45 posts for ‘lateral entry’ on a contractual basis. These included positions for 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors and deputy secretaries. However, this move sparked political controversy, as these appointments did not include reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes.
Opposition leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, and Akhilesh Yadav criticized the lack of quotas in these appointments. Even some allies of the ruling NDA, including the Lok Janshakti Party and the Janata Dal (United), opposed the policy.
Following the criticism, the government asked the UPSC to cancel the advertisement. Recruitment for civil services is traditionally done through the Civil Services Examination. However, ‘lateral entry’ allows the government to bring in domain experts for specific roles. Currently, there is no reservation policy for these appointments, which remains a contentious issue.