LATERAL ENTRY

The recruitment process for a civil servant in India typically involves a competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The most common route is through the Civil Services Examination (CSE), which is used to select candidates for various civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among others. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

Preliminary Examination (Prelims)

• Objective: The first stage is a screening test to select candidates for the Mains exam.
• Format: It consists of two objective-type papers:
  • General Studies Paper I: Covers subjects like history, geography, polity, economics, environment, and current affairs.
  • General Studies Paper II (CSAT): Tests logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision-making, and basic numeracy.
• Duration: Each paper is 2 hours long.
• Scoring: Only the marks of Paper I are considered for qualifying for the Mains exam, while Paper II is qualifying in nature (requiring 33% to pass).

Main Examination (Mains)

• Objective: This stage assesses the candidate's in-depth knowledge and understanding of various subjects.
• Format: It consists of nine papers, of which seven are counted for ranking, and two are qualifying in nature:
  • Qualifying Papers:
    • Indian Language (selected by the candidate)
    • English
  • Papers Counted for Merit:
    • Essay
    • General Studies I: Indian heritage, culture, history, and geography.
    • General Studies II: Governance, constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations.
    • General Studies III: Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security, and disaster management.
    • General Studies IV: Ethics, integrity, and aptitude.
    • Optional Paper I and II: A subject chosen by the candidate from the list of optional subjects.
• Scoring: The marks obtained in these seven papers determine the candidate’s rank.

Personality Test (Interview)

• Objective: The final stage is to assess the candidate’s personality traits, communication skills, and suitability for a career in public service.
• Format: Conducted by a panel of experts, the interview involves questions on current affairs, personal background, and general knowledge.
• Scoring: It carries 275 marks.

Final Ranking

• The marks obtained in the Mains exam (including the essay and optional papers) and the interview are combined to produce the final merit list.
• Based on their rank in this list, candidates are allocated to various civil services and cadres.

Training

• Successful candidates undergo training at respective academies, such as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) for IAS officers, to prepare them for their roles in public service.

• The concept of lateral entry was initially introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and received strong support from the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), established in 2005. The Second ARC was tasked with recommending reforms to improve the efficiency, transparency, and citizen-friendliness of India's administrative system
• In its 10th Report, titled "Refurbishing of Personnel Administration: Scaling New Heights," the commission highlighted the need for changes in personnel management within civil services.
• One of its main recommendations was to implement lateral entry into higher government positions that require specialized knowledge and skills.
• The ARC identified that certain roles in government necessitated expertise not readily available within the traditional civil service and suggested recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings to fill these gaps
• The ARC proposed creating a talent pool of professionals for short-term or contractual government roles, bringing in fresh perspectives and advanced expertise in fields like economics, finance, technology, and public policy.
• It stressed the need for a transparent, merit-based selection process for lateral entrants and recommended establishing a dedicated agency to manage their recruitment and integration. The ARC also emphasized that while integrating lateral entrants, it was crucial to uphold the integrity and ethos of the civil services
• The First ARC, set up in 1966 under Morarji Desai, who later served as Prime Minister, laid the foundation for discussions on the need for specialized skills in the civil services. Although it did not specifically advocate for lateral entry, it stressed professionalization, training, and reforms in personnel management to address the evolving challenges of the nation
• The lateral entry scheme was formally introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, recognizing the need for domain experts to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of India's administrative system.
• In 2018, the government announced vacancies for senior positions such as joint secretaries and directors, inviting applications from both private and public sector professionals for these roles.
• This initiative, influenced by the Second ARC's recommendations, effectively operationalized the concept of lateral entry, demonstrating a commitment to integrating specialized skills from outside the traditional civil service framework