The Indian Express, November 25, 2024
Months after the UPSC advertisement to fill 45 posts through lateral entry sparked a political storm and consequently withdrawn, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice has decided to examine “lateral entry in civil services” during its tenure 2024-25, according to the Rajya Sabha secretariat.
The panel will also examine the filling up of vacancies in the Central government.
In August this year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had advertised 45 posts — 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors and deputy secretaries — to be filled through the lateral entry mode on contract basis. The advertisement triggered a political furore with the Opposition as well as key NDA allies like the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United) opposing the move.
Top leaders of the Congress, SP and BSP had targeted the BJP-led NDA government’s policy for not having reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates. Subsequently, the Central government asked the UPSC to cancel its advertisement and it was withdrawn.
So far, over 60 appointments have been made through lateral entry, nearly half from private sector. Lateral entry in Central government posts began in 2018 keeping in view their specialised expertise. These posts are designated as single-cadre posts.
Earlier this month, Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore in a letter to the Prime Minister had raised concerns about the results of the Combined Medical Services Examination 2024, and alleged “discrepancies in the appointment process” of Category-1 Medical Officers of the Central Health Service.
In his letter to PM Narendra Modi, Tagore said that as per a Press Information Bureau release dated November 14, 2024, 163 vacancies were announced for Category-l, with no vacancies reserved for OBC candidates.
“However the final recommendation list includes 22 OBC candidates, along with two additional candidates, exceeding available vacancies. These appointments are reportedly being adjusted against future OBC vacancies, as per the DoP&T guidelines,” Tagore said. The situation raises critical questions about lack of transparency in vacancy announcements, violation of Reservation Principles, DoP&T’s rules and practices, and impact on future opportunities, it added.
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