Sources said that before the Modi government took office, the government's horizontal intervention was carried out in an opaque manner without any transparency. (File photo: PTI)
Sources said the Prime Minister's efforts are not only to ensure social justice by making lateral entry into the bureaucracy an institutionalized process but also by introducing reservations. They added that the lateral entry during the Congress period was not in keeping with the principles of social justice and, therefore, the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes were marginalized.
Sources told News18 on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directly intervened in the matter of lateral induction as he is keen to revise the shortcomings of the scheme which has not been maintained as the government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to withdraw its recruitment advertisement A controversy arose within the bureaucracy. The Prime Minister's efforts are not only to institutionalize lateral entry but also to ensure social justice through reservation, they added.
Sources said the government had changed the ad hoc and opaque system under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, introducing institutionalized lateral entry in 2018. 's, without any transparency, is done based on the whims and fancies of some selected leaders who are close to the family or from the family. This government has changed that,” a government source said.
In fact, sources said, the horizontal access during the Congress era was not in line with the principles of social justice and due to this, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes were marginalized. “Even the National Advisory Council, which played an active role in governance during the decade of UPA, had several lateral entrants, but all these admissions were done without including SCs, STs and OBCs. The NAC had several lateral entrants Entrants are actively involved in the legislative business. There is no transparency in their recruitment, selection, benefits and other benefits,” said a source.
Sources cited examples of Jean Dreze, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Nandan Nilekani and others who were brought in without any systematic process.
Sources added that in 2018, the Modi government institutionalized lateral entry through UPSC, removing opacity in the process and ending ad hoc entry in the system.
They added that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not speaking out for the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs on the current issue of lateral entry “but is only using them as political tools”.
The UPSC last week issued an advertisement seeking “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for lateral recruitment to 45 senior posts in the central government, including the posts of joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries in 24 ministries.
Some opposition leaders criticized Rahul Gandhi's move, calling it an “attack on Dalits”. Union Minister Chirag Paswan, a BJP ally, is also boycotting the process.
Sources said that through lateral entry, the government is inducting experienced talents into the bureaucracy and believes that through their years of experience and learning, these people can contribute to nation-building.
But now, it has been decided to include pre-orders in the process and a new advert will be released containing this content. “The lateral entry is just to bring a new perspective to governance at the national and state levels,” a source said.
