New Delhi: In a significant move, the central government has ordered the immediate cancellation of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertisement for lateral entry recruitment, following direct instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This decision has sparked a wave of discussions, particularly regarding the principles of equality and social justice in government recruitment.
Union Personnel Minister Jitendra Singh officially communicated this directive through a letter addressed to the UPSC Chairman, emphasizing that the cancellation is part of a broader re-evaluation of the lateral entry process. The government’s decision stems from concerns over adherence to constitutional values, particularly in ensuring that the reservation provisions for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are not compromised.
The decision to halt the lateral entry process comes in the wake of an advertisement issued by UPSC on Saturday, which sought applications for 45 high-ranking positions across various government departments. These included 10 Joint Secretary and 35 Director and Deputy Secretary posts, all to be filled through lateral entry on a contractual basis. The advertisement quickly drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, who argued that such recruitment practices could potentially undermine the reservation rights of marginalized communities.
Rahul Gandhi, former President of the Congress Party, strongly criticized the move, accusing Prime Minister Modi of bypassing the UPSC’s traditional recruitment methods in favor of candidates aligned with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Gandhi claimed that this approach threatens the integrity of the Constitution and the principles of meritocracy in public service recruitment.
Lateral entry, a concept that allows for the direct appointment of experts to key government positions without the traditional UPSC examination process, has a controversial history. While it was first introduced during the Congress government, the practice gained prominence in 2018 under the Modi administration, following recommendations from the NITI Aayog. Since then, 63 appointments have been made through this process, with 57 individuals currently serving in various capacities across the country.
Critics argue that lateral entry could create a parallel bureaucracy, potentially eroding the transparency and fairness traditionally associated with the UPSC. However, supporters contend that it brings much-needed expertise to the government, especially in specialized fields where traditional civil servants may lack the requisite knowledge.
As the government reconsiders the future of lateral entry, the decision has reignited debates over how best to balance the need for specialized skills with the foundational principles of equality and social justice enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
