Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday (Aug 20) wrote a letter to the head of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), asking the civil service body to cancel its advertisement for lateral entry.&nbsp;

Singh said the decision had been taken on the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The UPSC has&nbsp;been directed to withdraw the advertisement that attempted to fill 45 positions at the joint secretary, deputy secretary and director levels in the central government.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"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 government argued that it did not want to take the same route as its predecessors when lateral entry positions were filled willy-nilly without any provision for reservation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"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. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.08.2024," stated the letter.

The U-turn comes in the backdrop of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the recruitment scheme was an attack on "Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis".&nbsp;&nbsp;

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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.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1825407202644897798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Also watch |&nbsp;India: 3 UPSC aspirants dead as coaching centre’s basement gets flooded in Delhi

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<h2>What is lateral entry?</h2>

Lateral entry refers to recruitment in the Indian bureaucracy from outside the traditional government service cadres, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to fill mid and senior-level positions in government departments.&nbsp;

The lateral recruitment process for joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries in the Central government was first introduced in 2018.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-opposition-parties-denounce-upsc-lateral-entry-drive-as-scam-cruel-joke-751064">Also read |&nbsp;Indian opposition parties denounce UPSC lateral entry drive as 'scam, cruel joke'</a>

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.

(With inputs from agencies)

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday (Aug 20) wrote a letter to the head of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), asking the civil service body to cancel its advertisement for lateral entry.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday (Aug 20) wrote a letter to the head of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), asking the civil service body to cancel its advertisement for lateral entry. Singh said the decision had been taken on the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The UPSC has been directed to withdraw the advertisement that attempted to fill 45 positions at the joint secretary, deputy secretary and director levels in the central 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 government argued that it did not want to take the same route as its predecessors when lateral entry positions were filled willy-nilly without any provision for reservation. "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. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.08.2024," stated the letter. The U-turn comes in the backdrop of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the recruitment scheme was an attack on "Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis". 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. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 19, 2024 × Also watch | India: 3 UPSC aspirants dead as coaching centre’s basement gets flooded in Delhi What is lateral entry? Lateral entry refers to recruitment in the Indian bureaucracy from outside the traditional government service cadres, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to fill mid and senior-level positions in government departments. The lateral recruitment process for joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries in the Central government was first introduced in 2018. Also read | Indian opposition parties denounce UPSC lateral entry drive as 'scam, cruel joke' 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. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian government's U-turn on lateral entry: Asks UPSC to cancel advertisement

A new draft policy on science and technology has proposed up to 25 percent lateral recruitment of scientists in related ministries.

The purpose is to attract domain experts who are needed in science-related ministries to handle issues related to emerging technologies and advancements, according to officials.

According to the draft Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020, these could be scientists with domain expertise in different fields either from autonomous institutions or the private field.

“Lateral recruitment (minimum 25 percent) of professionals and subject matter experts will be mandated in all scientific ministries for a finite duration with comparable roles, responsibilities and empowerment to a regular official,” the draft policy states.

Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, said experts are needed in ministries as science progresses and new technologies emerge.

“In scientific ministries and departments when scientists are recruited, over a period of time, they are not able to practise science. Many a time, there are expert groups from outside the ministry or department that are formed for a specific field depending on the need,” Sharma said.

The purpose behind the proposed lateral recruitment is to attract domain experts. "So, they can spend more time in the ministries/ departments and deal with subjects of their expertise,” Sharma said.

In science-related ministries and departments, the position for the top post is mostly advertised. However, if the draft policy is accepted, this can lead to the lateral entry of experts at the mid-level.

Currently, domain experts can apply for posts in autonomous institutions of the scientific ministries.

The DST, along with the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, started the process of formulating the STIP 2020 last year. The policy was to be out by the year-end but has been slightly delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The draft STIP has been uploaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on its website. The DST has also invited suggestions, inputs and comments for making changes by January 25.

Addressing reporters, Akhilesh Gupta, Head of the STIP Secretariat, said over 300 rounds of consultation took place while drafting the policy. More than one lakh emails were received during the drafting of the policy, he said.

“There was a wide range of consultation that has taken place. The youngest person was a 10-year-old and the oldest was an 85-year-old. &nbsp;We also took great care to have at least one-third women scientists in every consultation we organised,” Gupta added.

For the first time, the states as well the diaspora were consulted in making the science policy, he noted.

The entire process of drafting a policy was completed in a year, Gupta said.

A new draft policy on science and technology has proposed up to 25 percent lateral recruitment of scientists in related ministries. The purpose is to attract domain experts who are needed in science-related ministries to handle issues related to emerging technologies and advancements, according to officials.

A new draft policy on science and technology has proposed up to 25 percent lateral recruitment of scientists in related ministries. The purpose is to attract domain experts who are needed in science-related ministries to handle issues related to emerging technologies and advancements, according to officials. According to the draft Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020, these could be scientists with domain expertise in different fields either from autonomous institutions or the private field. “Lateral recruitment (minimum 25 percent) of professionals and subject matter experts will be mandated in all scientific ministries for a finite duration with comparable roles, responsibilities and empowerment to a regular official,” the draft policy states. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, said experts are needed in ministries as science progresses and new technologies emerge. “In scientific ministries and departments when scientists are recruited, over a period of time, they are not able to practise science. Many a time, there are expert groups from outside the ministry or department that are formed for a specific field depending on the need,” Sharma said. The purpose behind the proposed lateral recruitment is to attract domain experts. "So, they can spend more time in the ministries/ departments and deal with subjects of their expertise,” Sharma said. In science-related ministries and departments, the position for the top post is mostly advertised. However, if the draft policy is accepted, this can lead to the lateral entry of experts at the mid-level. Currently, domain experts can apply for posts in autonomous institutions of the scientific ministries. The DST, along with the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, started the process of formulating the STIP 2020 last year. The policy was to be out by the year-end but has been slightly delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The draft STIP has been uploaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on its website. The DST has also invited suggestions, inputs and comments for making changes by January 25. Addressing reporters, Akhilesh Gupta, Head of the STIP Secretariat, said over 300 rounds of consultation took place while drafting the policy. More than one lakh emails were received during the drafting of the policy, he said. “There was a wide range of consultation that has taken place. The youngest person was a 10-year-old and the oldest was an 85-year-old. We also took great care to have at least one-third women scientists in every consultation we organised,” Gupta added. For the first time, the states as well the diaspora were consulted in making the science policy, he noted. The entire process of drafting a policy was completed in a year, Gupta said.

Proposal for lateral entry of scientists in related ministries in the new science policy 

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