Lateral Entry And Reservation Controversy Explained
On August 17, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement for applications for “talented and motivated Indian national for Lateral Recruitment” to key posts such as Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries of the Union government, with a total of 45 jobs.
The advertisement has sparked a huge debate on lateral entry into bureaucracy and how there are no reservations for SC, ST, and OBC candidates.
Read Also: Centre Stands Firm On Criminalisation Of Triple Talaq In Supreme Court
What Is Lateral Entry?
It refers to the recruitment of people from outside the government service cadres (like the IAS) to fill middle and senior-level positions in government departments.
In 2017, NITI Aayog and the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance recommended lateral entry in the former’s three-year Action Agenda. ‘Lateral entrants’ would be individuals from private firms, public sector utilities, and state governments.
Experts are recruited initially for a period of three to five years. The contracts can extend based on performance and the needs of the government.
Since career bureaucrats may not have the necessary skill set for certain jobs, it seeks to hire people experts in such domains through lateral entry.
Origin Of Lateral Entry
According to government sources, the provision was first introduced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Congress in the mid-2000s. Under Veerappa Moily, the UPA established the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in 2005, which recommended reforms for the Indian administrative system.
In its report titled ‘Refurbishing of Personnel Administration: Scaling New Heights,’ it argued that lateral entry was required to fill gaps by hiring individuals with specialised knowledge that may not be available within traditional civil services.
Backlash On The Provision
Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that lateral entry is “an attack on Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis. BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.”
Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.
BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 19, 2024
Describing it as “an attack on the Constitution,” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the BJP for eliminating 5.1 lakh posts in the past 10 years and “selling off Government of India’s shares in PSUs alone.”
He also pointed out that SC, ST, and OBC posts have been reduced by 1.3 lakh by 2022–23.
“We brought in a select group of Lateral Entry specialists and experts to place them in certain sector-specific positions as per their fitment,” referring to the role of the UPA government in proposing the provision.
Kharge further accused the Modi government of making the provision “not to appoint experts” but to “snatch the rights of Dalits, tribals, and backward classes.”
“The posts of SC, ST, OBC, and EWS will now be given to people of RSS. This is the BJP’s Chakravyuh to change the Constitution by snatching away the reservation,” said Kharge, accusing the central government.
मोदी सरकार के Lateral Entry का प्रावधान संविधान पर हमला क्यों है?
1. सरकारी महकमों में नौकरियाँ भरने के बजाय, पिछले 10 वर्षों में अकेले PSUs में ही भारत सरकार के हिस्सों को बेच-बेच कर, 5.1 लाख पद भाजपा ने ख़त्म कर दिए है।
Casual व Contract भर्ती में 91% का इज़ाफ़ा हुआ है।…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 19, 2024
Read Also: Hema Committee Report Reveals Shocking Details
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the move as a “dirty joke” and accused the Modi government of “ending reservation in a very systematic, planned, and cunning manner.”
केंद्र की मोदी सरकार बाबा साहेब के लिखे संविधान और आरक्षण के साथ कैसा घिनौना मजाक एवं खिलवाड़ कर रही है, यह विज्ञापन उसकी एक छोटी सी बानगी है।
𝐔𝐏𝐒𝐂 ने लैटरल एंट्री के ज़रिए सीधे 𝟒𝟓 संयुक्त सचिव, उप-सचिव और निदेशक स्तर की नौकरियां निकाली है लेकिन इनमें आरक्षण का प्रावधान… pic.twitter.com/b2h2R0eiJ7
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) August 17, 2024
Reservations In Lateral Entry
In 2019, Union Minister Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha that reservations are not applied to recruitment of lateral entrants as they are single-cadre appointments. Singh stated how lateral entry was used to fill a single post in each ministry similar to a bureaucrat being appointed to a department. He further added that the lateral-entry officers are a small pool for a short duration, and hence, reservation for such post would not make sense.
