Indian opposition parties denounce UPSC lateral entry drive as 'scam, cruel joke'

India's Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced a new recruitment drive to fill 45 key positions, including joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries across 24 ministries in Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The recruitment, set to be conducted through lateral entry on a contract or deputation basis, has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition leaders who accuse the government of bypassing reservation policies.

The advertisement, issued on Saturday (August 17), seeks to fill 10 joint secretary positions and 35 director and deputy secretary positions by September 17.

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced strong opposition to the recruitment process and accusing the BJP-led government of undermining the Constitution and launching a "double attack on reservation."

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kharge alleged that the BJP was deliberately conducting such recruitments to exclude SC, ST, and OBC categories from reservation benefits. He also referred to the recent High Court decision that exposed a reservation "scam" in the appointment of 69,000 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy CMTejashwi Yadav also slammed the government's move as a "cruel joke" on the country's reservation system and constitution. Yadav argued that if these 45 posts were filled through the traditional civil services examination, nearly half would be reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates.

The government has invited applications from "talented and motivated Indian nationals" interested in contributing to nation-building. The positions are open to State/UT officers and employees of public sector undertakings. Those from the private sector will be appointed on a contract basis, while other applicants will be posted on deputation. The appointment period is three years, extendable to five years based on performance.

Applicants for joint secretary positions must have at least 15 years of experience in the relevant domain and be between 40 and 55 years old. Candidates for director and deputy secretary posts should be between 35-45 and 32-40 years old, respectively.

The lateral recruitment process for joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries in the Central government was first introduced in 2018. According to a Lok Sabha reply dated July 24, 2024, 63 appointments have been made through lateral entry so far, with 35 candidates coming from the private sector. Currently, 57 of these employees remain in their respective ministries and departments.