Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Modi’s Lateral Entry Scheme for Government Jobs
New Delhi, August 18: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently announced a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. This decision has sparked criticism from opposition parties, who argue it undermines the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs.
Rahul Gandhi’s Concerns
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed concerns, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is appointing public servants through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rather than following the traditional UPSC route.
Background of Lateral Entry
Sources revealed that the concept of lateral entry was first introduced under the Congress-led UPA government and was strongly endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), established in 2005 and chaired by Veerappa Moily. The ARC recommended reforms to make the Indian administrative system more effective, transparent, and citizen-friendly.
ARC’s Recommendations
In its 10th Report titled ‘Refurbishing of Personnel Administration – Scaling New Heights,’ the ARC emphasized the need for reforms in personnel management within the civil services. One key recommendation was to introduce lateral entry into higher government positions requiring specialized knowledge and skills.
The ARC proposed creating a talent pool of professionals who could be inducted into the government on a short-term or contractual basis, bringing fresh perspectives and cutting-edge expertise in areas such as economics, finance, technology, and public policy. It also recommended a transparent and merit-based selection process for lateral entrants and a robust performance management system to hold them accountable.
Historical Context
The First ARC, established in 1966 under Morarji Desai, laid the groundwork for future discussions on the need for specialized skills within civil services. While it did not specifically advocate for lateral entry, it emphasized professionalization, training, and personnel management reforms.
Modi’s Tenure and Lateral Entry
The lateral entry scheme was formally introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, recognizing the need for domain experts to enhance the efficiency of India’s administrative machinery. In 2018, the government announced vacancies for senior positions, marking the first time professionals from both the private and public sectors were invited to apply for these roles.
This initiative was influenced by the recommendations of the Second ARC, which emphasized the importance of bringing external expertise into the civil services. The recruitment of Joint Secretaries in 2018 operationalized the ARC’s vision, demonstrating a commitment to integrating specialized skills from outside the traditional civil service framework.
Doubts Revealed
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party. He is the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Modi -: Modi refers to Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Lateral Entry Scheme -: The Lateral Entry Scheme allows professionals from the private sector to join government jobs at higher positions without going through the usual exams. It aims to bring in experts with specialized knowledge.
UPSC -: UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission. It is an organization in India that conducts exams to recruit people for various government jobs.
Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries -: These are high-ranking positions in the Indian government. They help in making important decisions and policies.
Reservation rights -: Reservation rights in India are policies that reserve a certain percentage of government jobs and educational seats for people from underprivileged communities.
RSS -: RSS stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is a Hindu nationalist organization in India that has close ties with the BJP.
Congress-led UPA government -: The UPA, or United Progressive Alliance, was a coalition of political parties in India led by the Congress party. They were in power before the current BJP government.
Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) -: The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was a committee set up by the Indian government to suggest improvements in the public administration system.