Prime Minister's intervention; lateral entry recruitment move withdrawn; move to bypass reservation policy nipped off

NEW DELHI: The UPSC has withdrawn its move to conduct lateral entry into top posts in central ministries, by bypassing the reservation policy, following the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The advertisement related to the recruitment of 45 posts has been withdrawn.

NDA allies and the opposition had come out against the move. Rahul Gandhi had alleged that it was an attack on Dalit and OBC communities. NDA constituents JDU and LJP had openly opposed the lateral entry recruitment.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed that the UPSC Chairman has been instructed to withdraw the advertisement, on the instructions of the Prime Minister. Jitendra Singh said that Modi gave stressed 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”.

UPSC had invited applications for 10 Joint Secretaries and 35 Director and Deputy Secretary posts in 24 ministries. All 45 posts were on contract/deputation appointment. These are the posts to be filled by civil servants.

Joint secretary vacancies were in the Home, Finance, IT and Steel departments. Salary up to Rs.2.7 lakhs. The contract appointment is for three years but can be extended up to five years.

How was reservation bypassed?

• Reservation will have to be given if 45 vacancies are considered as a single group. However, a separate advertisement was issued for vacancies in each ministry.
• With this, these are considered as single-post vacancies. Reservation will be bypassed by this stealth move
• Lateral entry was approved in principle by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission formed in 2005 during the UPA government.