Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Government’s Lateral Entry Move, Union Law Minister Responds
New Delhi, India – August 19: The Congress party and other opposition groups are criticizing the government’s decision to invite applications for 45 mid-level posts through lateral entry. They argue that this move undermines the rights of Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis.
Government sources pointed out that several technocrats and specialists, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Planning Commission member NK Singh, joined the government during Congress rule. Other notable figures include Sam Pitroda, V Krishnamurthy, Bimal Jalan, Kaushik Basu, Arvind Virmani, Raghuram Rajan, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and Nandan Nilekani.
Key Figures Who Joined During Congress Rule
- Sam Pitroda: Known for his role in India’s telecom revolution, he served as Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission.
- Manmohan Singh: Entered as an economic advisor in 1971 and later became Finance Minister and Prime Minister.
- V Krishnamurthy: Played a critical role in India’s industrial policy and served as Chairman of BHEL and Maruti Udyog.
- Bimal Jalan: Served as Chief Economic Advisor and Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
- Kaushik Basu: Appointed as Chief Economic Advisor in 2009 and later served as Chief Economist at the World Bank.
- NK Singh: Transitioned into advisory roles in finance and public policy after his time in civil services.
- Raghuram Rajan: Served as RBI Governor and was appointed CEA to the Finance Ministry in 2012.
- Arvind Virmani: Served as Chief Economic Advisor from 2007 to 2009.
- Montek Singh Ahluwalia: Served as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 2004 to 2014.
- Nandan Nilekani: Appointed as head of UIDAI in 2009.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal responded to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism, stating that Congress had made similar decisions in the past. Rahul Gandhi had called the lateral entry move an attack on marginalized communities and accused the BJP of trying to destroy the Constitution.
The UPSC recently invited applications for 45 mid-level posts, including joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries, through lateral entry, which has been opposed by several opposition parties.
Doubts Revealed
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a leader from the Congress party, which is one of the major political parties in India.
Lateral Entry -: Lateral entry means hiring people from outside the government, like experts or specialists, to fill certain job positions instead of promoting people from within the government.
Union Law Minister -: The Union Law Minister is a person in the government who is responsible for legal affairs and laws in the country. Right now, it is Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Congress party -: The Congress party is one of the oldest and major political parties in India. It has been in power many times since India became independent.
Marginalized communities -: Marginalized communities are groups of people who have been pushed to the edge of society and have less power or opportunities, like some castes or tribes in India.
Technocrats -: Technocrats are experts in technology or science who are brought into the government to help make decisions based on their knowledge.
Manmohan Singh -: Manmohan Singh is a former Prime Minister of India and a member of the Congress party. He is also an economist.
Opposition groups -: Opposition groups are political parties or people who are not in power and often criticize or challenge the decisions of the government.
