Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly intervened in the lateral entry matter as he was keen on revising the lacune of the scheme not having reservations, sources told News18 on Tuesday, as the government requested the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to withdraw its advertisement for hiring in the bureaucracy that had touched off a controversy. The PM’s effort is to ensure social justice not just by making lateral entry an institutionalised process but also by bringing in reservations, they added.
Sources said the government had already changed the ad hoc and opaque system followed under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime to bring in institutionalised lateral entry in 2018. “Before the Modi government, lateral entries in the government happened in an opaque manner, without any transparency, and were done as per the whims and fancies of a few selected leaders close to the family or from the family. This government changed this,” a government source said.
In fact, lateral entries during the Congress era were not consistent with the principles of social justice, and therefore, sidelined Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, said the sources. “Even the National Advisory Council that played an active role in governance during the ten years of the UPA had several lateral entrants, but all those admissions were done without being inclusive towards SCs, STs, and OBCs. The NAC had several lateral entrants who were actively involved in the legislative business. There was no transparency on their hiring, selection, perks, and other benefits,” a source said.
Sources cited examples of Jean Dreze, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Nandan Nilekani, and others who were brought in without any systemic process.
In 2018, the Modi government institutionalised lateral entries through UPSC, removing the opaqueness in the process, and putting an end to ad hoc entries into the system, the sources added.
They added that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not speaking for the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs in the present lateral entry matter “but merely using them as a political tool”.
UPSC last week issued an advertisement seeking “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for lateral recruitment to 45 senior positions in the central government, including positions of joint secretary, director, and deputy secretary in 24 ministries.
Several opposition leaders criticised the move with Rahul Gandhi terming it an “attack on Dalits”. Union minister Chirag Paswan, an ally of the BJP, also resisted the process.
Through lateral entry, said the sources, the government is getting seasoned minds into the bureaucracy and believes that through their years of experience and learning, these people can contribute to nation-building.
But now, a decision has been taken to include reservation in this process and a fresh advertisement will be issued incorporating this. “Lateral entry is only to bring a new and fresh perspective into the governance at national and state level,” a source said.
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