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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on August 27, 2024
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Why is lateral entry policy under scrutiny?
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
For Mains Examination: GS II - Indian Governance
Context:
What did the Union Public Service Commission advertise on recruitment, and why was the order withdrawn? Has the government tried out the lateral entry policy in the past? How did it fare? What is the reservation issue? Is there a shortage of personnel?
Read about:
What is Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ?
Functions and responsibilities of UPSC
Key takeaways:
On August 17, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced lateral recruitment for 45 positions at the levels of joint secretary, director, and deputy secretary across various ministries and departments. This decision sparked controversy because reservation benefits were not applied to these "single post" recruitments. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticized the move as "anti-national," claiming it deprived Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) of their rightful reservations in government jobs. In response to the public outcry, Union Personnel Minister Jitendra Singh requested the UPSC to withdraw the advertisement on August 20, leading to its cancellation shortly after.
Why is lateral hiring necessary?
According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), lateral recruitment aims to bring in fresh talent and enhance human resources at the middle management level for specialized tasks, leveraging the candidates' expertise in specific areas.
Has this type of recruitment occurred before?
Yes. Since 2019, 63 positions have been filled through lateral recruitment, though at least seven appointees left their posts prematurely. These positions are open to candidates from the private sector, state governments, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, statutory organizations, universities, and recognized research institutes, with tenures ranging from three to five years.
In 2021, the UPSC received 295 applications for three joint secretary positions, 1,247 applications for 27 director positions, and 489 applications for 13 deputy secretary positions. Candidates were recommended for 31 positions, while the remaining 12 positions were left vacant, according to the UPSC's 2021-22 annual report.
What is the origin of this policy?
The NITI Aayog proposed lateral entry in its 2017 report titled "India-Three Year Action Agenda, 2017-18 to 2019-20," as part of a broader strategy for Civil Services Reform. The report argued that the increasing complexity of the economy necessitates the inclusion of specialists in policymaking through lateral entry, which would also introduce competition to the existing career bureaucracy.
The report further suggested that government officers should develop expertise in specific fields and recommended replacing the current practice of frequent rotations with longer postings based on specialization. This approach would bring top talent into the government, energizing ministries. For tax reforms, NITI Aayog advocated for greater flexibility in recruiting technical experts from outside to improve tax compliance. On February 10, 2021, the Prime Minister criticized the work culture of IAS officers, questioning the effectiveness of relying on them alone.
The idea of lateral entry was also recommended during the Congress-led UPA government in 2005 by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission.
