The Centre has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to withdraw its advertisement for lateral entry into the bureaucracy, reversing its stance amid backlash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the “move should be aligned with social justice”, according to a letter from Union Minister Jitender Singh to the UPSC chairperson.

Chirag Paswan, Union Minister and leader of the LJP (Ram Vilas), a key BJP ally, praised the decision, a day after speaking out against the Centre’s lateral entry scheme. With that Paswan became the first leader from within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to clear his stance on the subject.

Read Also: “Will Protect Constitution”: Rahul Gandhi on Withdrawal Of Lateral Entry Notification

“My party’s stance on such appointments is absolutely clear. Wherever there are government appointments, the provisions of reservation must be followed. There is no ifs and buts in this,” the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) national president said.

Last week, the UPSC had advertised to fill for “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for senior roles within the Union government, including positions like Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary across 24 ministries, with 45 posts available through the lateral route.

“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 minister’s 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.”

“For PM Modi, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity,” Singh’s letter read. “It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalised communities get their rightful representation in the government services,” he said.

The minister cited several high-profile appointments where lateral entrants were placed in key positions without adhering to reservation protocols. These included leadership roles at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Secretary-level posts across various ministries in previous administrations.

“Since these positions have been treated as specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment,” the letter read.

Lateral entry involves recruiting individuals from outside traditional government services, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), for mid and senior-level government positions.

This move sparked a heated debate, with Opposition leaders, including Congress figures Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing the Modi government of using lateral entry as a means to recruit officers loyal to the BJP’s ideological ally, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Gandhi alleged that the process is being used to bypass the UPSC and deny reservations to candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).  He called it as an “attack on Dalits.”

Read Also: ‘Absolutely Not In Favor’: Chirag Paswan On Lateral Entry To UPSC

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party would launch a nationwide protest against the scheme from October 2.

In response to the criticism, the BJP said that the lateral entry concept was first introduced during a Congress-led government. In 2005, the UPA established the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), chaired by Veerappa Moily, to recommend reforms for the Indian administrative system.

The formal introduction of lateral entry occurred during PM Modi’s tenure and the initial vacancies were announced in 2018, marking a shift from the longstanding practice of filling senior bureaucratic roles through career civil servants.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw accused the opposition party of hypocrisy. Congress’ Moily had recommended lateral recruitment to address gaps in roles requiring specialised knowledge, Vaishnaw said, and added that the BJP-led NDA has merely enhanced its transparency.