Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances Jitendra Singh has asked the chairman of UPSC to cancel the ongoing Lateral Entry advertisement.
In a letter, the minister said the decision comes as part of a broader reassessment of the lateral entry process within the government.
"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 letter read. "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."
The directive signals a shift in the approach towards lateral entry, potentially reconsidering how external talent is integrated into the government system. The DoPT minister’s letter underscores the urgency of this action, calling for swift compliance from the UPSC to align with the new directive.
On August 17, the Central government announced its search for 45 "talented and motivated Indian nationals" to take on roles as joint secretaries, directors, or deputy secretaries, through a lateral hiring process. This initiative, aimed at filling knowledge gaps in the cadre-based bureaucracy, is not new but has reignited controversy, particularly over the absence of explicit provisions for reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quick to criticize the Modi government's move, framing it as an attack on social justice. He expressed his concerns on X, stating, "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." He later escalated his criticism, calling it an "anti-national step."
Rahul Gandhi’s allies in the INDIA bloc echoed his sentiments. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the move, warning of a conspiracy to place ideological allies in high government positions through lateral entry, bypassing traditional routes. He called for a nationwide movement against this perceived threat to social justice.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav also weighed in, sharing the UPSC advertisement and criticizing the Modi government for what he described as tampering with the Constitution and reservations established by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
In response, the BJP defended the lateral entry process, pointing out that it was originally instituted by the Congress-led UPA government. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw highlighted the Congress’s "hypocrisy" on the issue, noting that the concept of lateral entry was developed under the UPA's second Administrative Reforms Commission in 2005.