New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Center asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to revoke the job posting for “people of expertise” in government agencies and ministries, marking a major step toward limiting lateral access to bureaucracy.
In a letter to the head of the UPSC, Union Minister Jitendra Singh reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong support for the lateral entry process and emphasised the “need to align it with the principles of equity and social justice as enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation.”
“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 for Department of Personnel and Training said.
“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,” he further added.
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Similarly, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of Union Railways, has praised the action, stating that it will uphold social justice principles and advance the welfare of society’s most vulnerable members.
“The decision to align lateral entry with principles of reservation shows PM Modi’s commitment to social justice,” wrote Minister of Railways, I&B and Electronics and IT on social media platform X.
This move comes after BJP allies, including the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United), vented their objection over the proposed lateral entry for about 45 posts without offering any reservation to the backward classes.
This action was taken in response to protests from BJP allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United), regarding the planned lateral entrance for about 45 posts without providing any reservations for the underprivileged.
The Modi government has come under heavy fire from the Congress and the INDIA group over the decision, labelling it an “attack on the Dalits and OBCs.”
Notably, the controversy over lateral entry into bureaucracy broke after the UPSC issued an advertisement on August 17, notifying about the “vacancy” for 45 domain experts in the rank and pay of Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Directors.
Out of 45, ten experts were to be hired as Joint Secretaries, while the rest were to be “absorbed” in the ranks of directors or deputy secretaries across ministries, including finance, electronics, agriculture, environment and renewable energy.
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–IANS
