- Thursday, September 12, 2024
The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry
By: Shajil Kumar
THE Centre on Tuesday asked the UPSC to cancel the latest lateral entry recruitment, amid a row over reservation in the advertised posts.
Union minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairman Preeti Sudan and asked her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services.
The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry – referred to as the appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.
The decision had ignited criticism from the opposition parties, which claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs and STs.
In the letter, Singh said that for Prime Minister Narendra 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,” he said.
“I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024,” he added.
Singh said this step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment.
“It is well known that, as a principle, lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission which was constituted in 2005, chaired by Shri Veerappa Moily. The recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in 2013 were also in the same direction,” he said.
However, both before and after that there have been many high-profile cases of lateral entrants, he said.
Under earlier governments, posts as important as that of secretary in various ministries, leadership of UIDAI, etc., have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations, Singh said.
“Further, it is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.
While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, the efforts of “our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open”, the minister said.
Further, 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 the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation, Singh said.
Will protect Constitution: Rahul
With the Centre withdrawing the latest advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the Congress will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs and foil “conspiracies” of the BJP.
His remarks came after the Centre decided to cancel the advertisement on lateral entry in government services.
“We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil the BJP’s conspiracies like that of ‘lateral entry’ at any cost,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
“I am saying it again – by removing the 50 per cent reservation cap, we will ensure social justice based on caste census,” the former Congress chief said.
Akhilesh swipe
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP-led central government over its withdrawal of the latest advertisement for lateral entry into bureaucracy, saying it succumbed to the unity of the ‘PDA’.
Yadav’s “PDA formula” refers to a combination of “Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)”.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also announced that the SP’s agitation against the lateral recruitment scheduled to begin on October 2 has been postponed.
Stalin flays move
Lateral entry into bureaucracy is a direct assault on social justice and it deprived opportunities deserved for meritorious and minority officers from the reserved categories, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday.
Chirag Paswan hails withdrawal
Union minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday asserted that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has reaffirmed its “commitment towards SCs, STs and OBCs” by asking the UPSC to withdraw the advertisement for “lateral entry” into the bureaucracy.
Addressing a press conference here, Paswan also slammed the Congress-led opposition for “selective criticism” of the ruling NDA and accused the previous governments of failure to fill up posts reserved for the deprived castes.
“I thank my Prime Minister for seeking cancellation of lateral entry, on behalf of my Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This government has set a precedent. Hopefully, regimes of future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments”, Paswan said.
Asked about the criticism being faced by the government over the issue, he said “When the opposition points a finger at us, it needs to remember three fingers get pointed at itself. Why did these parties, while in power, ensure recruitments against posts reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs?”.
“The current dispensation has been in power for only 10 years. Yet, the opposition has been busy with selective criticism, targeting only the NDA. Just look at their silence over the horrific rape (of a doctor, before murder) in neighbouring West Bengal”, he said. (PTI)
