What is lateral entry into bureaucracy that sparked dispute between UPA and Centre

In recent days, the center and the opposition have been attacking each other over the government’s initiative to… side entrance in bureaucracy, which is a practice that involves recruiting individuals outside the traditional cadres of government service to fill mid- and senior-level positions.

While lateral attachments to the bureaucracy were formally introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, with the first set of vacancies announced in 2018, candidates are typically hired on contracts ranging from three to five years, with possible extensions based on performance. The aim is to address complex governance and policy implementation challenges by leveraging external expertise.

Despite the measure that has been criticized by Raul Gandhi and others in the opposition, the concept of lateral entry has historical precedents. It was initially recommended by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) set up in 2005 during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The ARC, chaired by Veerappa Moily, advocated lateral entry to fill posts requiring specialised skills not available in traditional civil services. These recommendations emphasised hiring professionals from the private sector, academia and public enterprises to improve policy implementation and governance.

What started this political fight?
Earlier on Saturday, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement seeking applications for lateral recruitment for 45 high level positionsincluding Joint Secretary, Director and Under Secretary in 24 Ministries of the Union Government.

These posts are for key decision makers and administrative heads within departments. Candidates with suitable qualifications and experience in state or Union Territory governments, state-owned enterprises, statutory organisations, research institutes, universities and the private sector are eligible to apply.

Reservation of seats in government jobs and universities is done through the 13-point rotation policy. However, a circular from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) says that there is no mandatory reservation for appointments on deputation, and the current process of filling posts through lateral entry is considered a close approximation to deputation.

“In a single job schedule, reservation does not apply. Since each post filled under this scheme [lateral entry] “It is a unique post, no reservation applies,” according to the files obtained from the DoPT.

Why is Oppn against side entry?
Opposition leaders argue that this lacks reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), while the government defends it as a means of attracting specialised talent and expertise.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised the lateral entry, accusing the Modi government of using it as a backdoor to recruit officers loyal to the BJP’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. The BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans,” Gandhi said on social media platform X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the lateral entry as part of a “well-planned conspiracy” to exclude marginalised communities from government jobs.

Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati also condemned the move, arguing that it deprives disadvantaged candidates of opportunities to advance within the government.

“A question to the honourable judges and the central government who are forcibly seeking a creamy layer in OBC/SC/ST: Where does the so-called creamy layer of these classes go when they are in these positions?” asked Chandrashekhar Aazad of Azad Samaj Party.

What is the BJP’s response?
The BJP has countered these criticisms by pointing out that the concept of lateral entry was developed during the Congress-led UPA government. Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s comment, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted: “The hypocrisy of INC is evident on the matter of lateral entry. It was the UPA government that developed the concept of lateral entry. The second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was set up in 2005 under the UPA government. Shri Veerappa Moily chaired it.”

In all, 63 lateral entry appointments have been made in the last five years, according to Minister of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Training, Jitendra Singh. Currently, 57 lateral entry candidates are holding posts in various ministries and departments.

(with ToI inputs)