By Tajdar H Zaidi
The Modi government on Tuesday directed UPSC to take down advertisements issued on August 17 for lateral entry in 45 posts in the central government’s various departments.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in his letter to UPSC Chairman Preeti Sudan noted that the specialized posts has no provision for reservation and it has to be reviewed.
“Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single -cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect need to be reviewed and reformed in the context of Hon’ble Prime Minister ‘s focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17,2024,” the minister said in the letter.
“It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services,” Jitendra Singh said in his letter to Preeti Sudan.
The move by PM Modi led government to introduce lateral entry in bureaucracy was met with severe backlash from the opposition parties.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had come down heavily on the government. Among other things, he claimed that the government is “recruiting for important posts in central government through lateral entry” and that this meant “reservation (for) SC, ST, and OBC classes being openly snatched away”.
On Sunday Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, whose party is a member of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc called for a fierce protest on Gandhi Jayanti (i.e., October 2) to force the BJP to scrap the lateral entry concept.
According to sources, the Opposition raising this as a major issue ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in four states has forced the Modi government to rethink on its decision.
“Since the issue has started gaining political color, and that too ahead of polls in some states, the government is learnt to have decided to put it in cold storage fearing political repercussions,” said a source in the government.