NEW DELHI: The concept of lateral entry into Indian government services has been a subject of significant interest and debate. On August 18, 2024, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries across 24 central ministries through lateral entry on a contract basis or deputation.However, the announcement quickly drew criticism from various stakeholders, including opposition leaders. In response, the Central Government has asked the UPSC to cancel the recruitment process, citing concerns over social justice and representation.
In a letter to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan, the Minister for the Department of Personnel and Training, Jitendra Singh, emphasised the importance of upholding the constitutional mandate for social justice.
The advertisement sought to fill 10 joint secretary positions and 35 director/deputy secretary roles. The joint secretary roles covered diverse domains, including emerging technologies, semiconductors, environment policy and law, the digital economy, cybersecurity, shipping, renewable energy, and more.
In contrast, the director and deputy secretary positions focused on key areas such as climate change, urban water management, aviation management, tax policy, education technology, and international law, among others. Several ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, were scheduled to make these appointments.
What is the appointment process?
In lateral recruitment, candidates are typically hired on contracts ranging from three to five years, with extensions based on performance. They are required to meet specific academic qualifications and possess a defined period of professional experience in a relevant field. These positions are generally filled for a fixed term, with the possibility of extension at the discretion of the hiring authority.
In the recent UPSC Lateral Entry recruitment drive, candidates were required to have at least 15 years of relevant experience in the field for which they were applying. For example, candidates applying for the Joint Secretary position in Emerging Technologies needed to have 15 years of experience in the field of technology, along with a strong understanding of related laws, government regulations, and public policies.
However, it is important to note that eligibility requirements can vary depending on the specific post, the seniority of the role, and the job profile.
The primary goal of lateral recruitment drives has been to address complex governance and policy challenges by leveraging external expertise.
Historical context of lateral entry
The concept of lateral entry is not new. It dates back to 2005 when the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) formally recommended it during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Congress. Chaired by Veerappa Moily, the ARC emphasised the need for lateral entry to fill roles requiring specialised knowledge that traditional civil services could not provide. The recommendations included recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to enhance policy implementation and governance.
However, appointing private-sector professionals to government positions is not a new practice.It dates back to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure. According to historical records, lateral inductions have been a part of government practices since the 1950s, when several prominent figures were promoted to senior positions.
For example, IG Patel, who began as Deputy Economic Adviser at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), later became Economic Affairs Secretary, and eventually served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Similarly, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was a professor of international trade at the Delhi School of Economics back then, was appointed as the Ministry of Commerce’s Economic Adviser in 1971 before he moved on to other key positions. Another classic example is the appointment of R.V. Shahi in 2002 as Power Secretary. The Vajpayee government recruited him from the private sector with the aim of driving electricity reforms.
In 2017, NITI Aayog released a three-year Action Agenda that included a significant proposal to improve the central government’s administrative structure. The recommendation, echoed by the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance in their February report, was to include ‘lateral entrants’ in middle and senior management roles within the central secretariat. Traditionally, these positions were only filled by UPSC qualified candidates from the All India Services and the Central Civil Services.
The proposal aimed to introduce experienced professionals from outside these traditional paths on three-year contracts with the option of extending for up to five years.
Following this recommendation, the central government began the process by advertising for lateral entry positions in 2018. Initially, these opportunities were only available to Joint Secretaries. Over time, additional posts such as Director and Deputy Secretary were added.
Number of lateral entries till date
The first recruitment round in 2018 received a significant number of candidates with over 6000 applications for Joint Secretary positions. Subsequently, in 2019, nine candidates were appointed to various Ministries and Departments following a UPSC selection process.
The lateral recruitment initiative continued with further rounds announced in 2021 and two more rounds in May 2023.
According to statements made by Minister of State Jitendra Singh in August of the current year, a total of 63 appointments through lateral entry have been made over the past five years. As of now, 57 of these lateral entrants are actively serving in various Ministries and Departments.
Controversies surrounding the recent lateral recruitment bid
One of the major points of contention regarding lateral entry is the issue of reservations. According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), since each post under lateral entry is considered a “single post cadre,” reservations do not apply.
Public sector reservations are generally implemented via the 13-point roster policy, but the DoPT circular clarifies that reservations are not mandatory for appointments on deputation, and the lateral entry process closely mirrors deputation.
Opposition leaders have criticised the lack of reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in lateral entry appointments. Meanwhile, the government defends the initiative as a necessary measure to bring in specialised talent and expertise to address critical governance needs.
Additionally, there are concerns that lateral entry might dilute the merit-based recruitment system that has long underpinned civil services. Critics warn that if the recruitment process is not conducted with full transparency, it could lead to perceptions of favouritism or nepotism, further eroding public trust in the system.
In a letter to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan, the Minister for the Department of Personnel and Training, Jitendra Singh, emphasised the importance of upholding the constitutional mandate for social justice.
The advertisement sought to fill 10 joint secretary positions and 35 director/deputy secretary roles. The joint secretary roles covered diverse domains, including emerging technologies, semiconductors, environment policy and law, the digital economy, cybersecurity, shipping, renewable energy, and more.
In contrast, the director and deputy secretary positions focused on key areas such as climate change, urban water management, aviation management, tax policy, education technology, and international law, among others. Several ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, were scheduled to make these appointments.
What is the appointment process?
In lateral recruitment, candidates are typically hired on contracts ranging from three to five years, with extensions based on performance. They are required to meet specific academic qualifications and possess a defined period of professional experience in a relevant field. These positions are generally filled for a fixed term, with the possibility of extension at the discretion of the hiring authority.
In the recent UPSC Lateral Entry recruitment drive, candidates were required to have at least 15 years of relevant experience in the field for which they were applying. For example, candidates applying for the Joint Secretary position in Emerging Technologies needed to have 15 years of experience in the field of technology, along with a strong understanding of related laws, government regulations, and public policies.
However, it is important to note that eligibility requirements can vary depending on the specific post, the seniority of the role, and the job profile.
The primary goal of lateral recruitment drives has been to address complex governance and policy challenges by leveraging external expertise.
Historical context of lateral entry
The concept of lateral entry is not new. It dates back to 2005 when the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) formally recommended it during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Congress. Chaired by Veerappa Moily, the ARC emphasised the need for lateral entry to fill roles requiring specialised knowledge that traditional civil services could not provide. The recommendations included recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to enhance policy implementation and governance.
However, appointing private-sector professionals to government positions is not a new practice.It dates back to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure. According to historical records, lateral inductions have been a part of government practices since the 1950s, when several prominent figures were promoted to senior positions.
For example, IG Patel, who began as Deputy Economic Adviser at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), later became Economic Affairs Secretary, and eventually served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Similarly, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was a professor of international trade at the Delhi School of Economics back then, was appointed as the Ministry of Commerce’s Economic Adviser in 1971 before he moved on to other key positions. Another classic example is the appointment of R.V. Shahi in 2002 as Power Secretary. The Vajpayee government recruited him from the private sector with the aim of driving electricity reforms.
In 2017, NITI Aayog released a three-year Action Agenda that included a significant proposal to improve the central government’s administrative structure. The recommendation, echoed by the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance in their February report, was to include ‘lateral entrants’ in middle and senior management roles within the central secretariat. Traditionally, these positions were only filled by UPSC qualified candidates from the All India Services and the Central Civil Services.
The proposal aimed to introduce experienced professionals from outside these traditional paths on three-year contracts with the option of extending for up to five years.
Following this recommendation, the central government began the process by advertising for lateral entry positions in 2018. Initially, these opportunities were only available to Joint Secretaries. Over time, additional posts such as Director and Deputy Secretary were added.
Number of lateral entries till date
The first recruitment round in 2018 received a significant number of candidates with over 6000 applications for Joint Secretary positions. Subsequently, in 2019, nine candidates were appointed to various Ministries and Departments following a UPSC selection process.
The lateral recruitment initiative continued with further rounds announced in 2021 and two more rounds in May 2023.
According to statements made by Minister of State Jitendra Singh in August of the current year, a total of 63 appointments through lateral entry have been made over the past five years. As of now, 57 of these lateral entrants are actively serving in various Ministries and Departments.
Controversies surrounding the recent lateral recruitment bid
One of the major points of contention regarding lateral entry is the issue of reservations. According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), since each post under lateral entry is considered a “single post cadre,” reservations do not apply.
Public sector reservations are generally implemented via the 13-point roster policy, but the DoPT circular clarifies that reservations are not mandatory for appointments on deputation, and the lateral entry process closely mirrors deputation.
Opposition leaders have criticised the lack of reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in lateral entry appointments. Meanwhile, the government defends the initiative as a necessary measure to bring in specialised talent and expertise to address critical governance needs.
Additionally, there are concerns that lateral entry might dilute the merit-based recruitment system that has long underpinned civil services. Critics warn that if the recruitment process is not conducted with full transparency, it could lead to perceptions of favouritism or nepotism, further eroding public trust in the system.