The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday had advertised 45 posts — 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries.
JK News Today
New Delhi, August 20: Union Minister Jitendra Singh sent a letter to the chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday, asking him to cancel the recent advertisement for lateral entry positions.
The letter cited the Prime Minister’s directions and called for the process of lateral recruitment to adhere to the principles of equity and social justice as outlined in the Constitution, particularly regarding the provision for reservations.
45 positions advertised
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday had advertised 45 posts — 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries — to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. It is the biggest tranche of lateral recruitment being undertaken by the Centre, an official said.
“The government of India has submitted the requisitions for lateral recruitment of joint secretary and director/deputy secretary level officers. Accordingly, online applications are invited from talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation building to join the government at the level of joint secretary or director/deputy secretary…,” read the advertisement.
The vacancies in different ministries/departments with headquarters at New Delhi were expected to be filled on a contract basis (on deputation for officers of states/UT cadres, public sector undertakings (PSUs), autonomous bodies, statutory organisations, universities, recognized research institutes) for a period of three years (extendable to five years depending upon performance) through website https://www.upsconline.nic.in by September 17, it said.
U-turn after Oppn’s condemnation
The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, renewed his attack on the Modi government on Monday over the lateral entry scheme into the bureaucracy, which the Centre described as a well-thought-out move to fill in the gaps in ministries and departments requiring expertise and certain skill sets.
“Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis,” Congress MP wrote on X, upping the ante on the ‘biggest’ lateral scheme under the Modi government. “BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans,” he added.
Congress party has been critical of the UPSC advertisement seeking recruitment of domain experts into bureaucracy and claimed that it was BJP’s conspiracy to deprive the unprivileged community of reaching top positions in government.
Rahul Gandhi dubbed the lateral entry scheme as ‘privatisation of IAS’ and also drew a SEBI link. “Privatisation of the IAS is Modi’s guarantee for ending reservation,” he had said.
He claimed that the reservation of SC, ST and OBC categories was being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government. Responding to the Congress and INDIA bloc’s criticism, the BJP has ‘unearthed’ a UPA link and accused the latter of politicising the issue to gain political mileage.
The BJP called out Congress ‘hypocrisy’ over the hiring of experts in bureaucracy and said that it was in 2005 under the UPA government that the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), under the chairmanship of Veerappa Moily, made these recommendations. (With excerpts from agencies)
