• Source:JND
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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on August 18 issued an advertisement to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries across 24 Central Ministries through lateral entry on a contract basis or deputation basis. The move has sparked controversy, with Opposition leaders alleging that the Centre is attempting to bypass established reservation policies with this new hiring strategy.

The UPSC advertised 45 posts including 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries -- to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. “It is the biggest tranche of lateral recruitment being undertaken by the Centre,” an official told news agency PTI. 

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The advertisements also mentioned that all posts are “suitable for candidates belonging to the category of Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD).” 

What Is ‘Lateral Entry’ Into Bureaucracy 

The government sources told news agency PTI that the concept of lateral entry was first introduced under the Congress-led UPA regime and strongly endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission established by it in 2005. 

In 2017, NITI Aayog's three-year Action Agenda and a report from the Sectoral Group of Secretaries on Governance advocated for the induction of lateral entrants into the central government at middle and senior management levels.

The initiative aimed to diversify the central secretariat, traditionally staffed solely by career bureaucrats from the All India Services and Central Civil Services. Under this initiative, these recruits would be appointed on three-year contracts, extendable up to five years, marking a significant shift in the recruitment strategy for top government positions.

Reservation Provision Under Lateral Entry Policy

Several opposition leaders have criticised the policy for not having reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates.

Reacting to the latest advertisement issued by the UPSC, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the lateral entries were part of a ‘well-planned conspiracy’ and that “the BJP is deliberately making such recruitments in jobs so that SC, ST, OBC categories can be kept away from the reservation”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of undermining constitutional institutions through the Centre's latest move for lateral entry into the top government positions. 

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Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Gandhi wrote, "Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through the 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh' (RSS) instead of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)."

Eligibility Criteria

For the newly announced lateral entry roles, the eligibility requirements are as follows:

Joint Secretary: Candidates must possess at least 15 years of relevant experience and be aged between 40 and 55 years. The gross salary for this position is approximately Rs 2.32 lakh per month.

Director: Applicants should have a minimum of 10 years of experience and be between 35 and 45 years old.

Deputy Secretary: A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience is required, with candidates falling in the age range of 32 to 40 years.