Bengaluru:Just days after releasing advertisement for lateral entry into multiple senior bureaucratic position, the Central Government on Tuesday instructed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the recent lateral entry advertisement.
The directive, issued under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes amid growing political controversy over the lateral entry process, reports suggested.
In a letter to the UPSC chairman, Preeti Sudan, the Minister of State (MoS) for the Department of Personnel and Training, Jitendra Singh conveyed the Prime Minister’s stance that the lateral entry process must adhere to the principles of equity and social justice as stated in the Indian Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation.
Singh noted that for Prime Minister Modi, reservation in public employment is “a cornerstone of our social justice framework aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity”.
“Since these positions have been treated as specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice,” Singh said.
“I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024,” he said. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment, Singh stated.
Earlier, the UPSC had invited applications from private sector employees for lateral recruitment of 45 positions of Secretary, Deputy Secretaries, and Director in 24 central ministries. According to a notification, the posts announced by the UPSC included 10 Joint Secretary positions and 35 Director/Deputy Secretary positions.
While the age limit for the Joint Secretary level posts were fixed between 40 and 55 years, it was fixed at 35 and 45 years for Director level posts and for Deputy Secretary level posts, it was at 32 and 40 years. However, there was no provision for reservation announced for these posts, which became a bone of contention in political circles, leading to withdrawal of the decision.