Government asked Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to withdraw the advertisement for 45 lateral inductions for the posts of joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries, in what is being seen as a swift response to allegations from Congress and others in the opposition that the Centre had been making appointments laterally to dodge the requirement for caste quotas.
BJP’s ally, Union food processing minister Chirag Paswan of LJP had also opposed the decision.
“Today, PM Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his commitment to Babasaheb’s Constitution and has taken a major decision to apply the principles of reservation in lateral recruitment by UPSC… (This) clearly shows the commitment of PM to take the benefit and to do justice to the weakest section of society,” I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnav told DD News.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a letter to UPSC chairperson Preeti Sudan, personnel minister Jitendra Singh urged her to cancel the ad for lateral entry positions following instructions from the PM, and referred to Modi’s decision to apply quotas to lateral entries.
Government: Will review lateral entry policy to ensure social justice
Personnel minister Jitendra Singh also mentioned that reservation in employment is a cornerstone of government’s social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity. “It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services,” Singh said in his letter to the UPSC chief.
Opposition celebrated the decision as its “victory” and emphasised that it forced government to retrace its steps. government, for its part, said lateral inductions, without provision for caste quotas, began under Congress governments.
Singh said the policy for lateral inductions, where quotas are not applied because positions are treated as “specialist” “single-cadre” posts would be reviewed and changed in context of PM’s “focus on ensuring social justice”. Under current norms, quota system is not applicable where there are less than three recruitments.
Officials said government will “undertake an exercise” to see how reservation norms can be applied in lateral entry. “government has followed due process that’s fair and transparent in the last three batches of lateral entry. Now since it has been pointed out that there should be reservation in such recruitment as well and as there is a sentiment, government will review this. We are open to suggestions,” said a senior official.
Sources said of the currently serving 57 officers recruited through lateral entry, four are SC and eight OBC. A senior official said the current norm of reservation in direct recruitment — 15.7% for SCs, 7% for STs, 27% for OBCs and 10% for economically weaker section (EWS) — can be applied only when all posts for each category are clubbed and not taken as single-cadre posts.
In the letter, Singh referred to how lateral entry was endorsed by Second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Congress’ Veerappa Moily and that recommendations of sixth pay commission in 2013 were in the same direction.
The minister said there have been many instances of high profile appointments, including of secretaries without following any process of reservation.
Taking on previous Congress-led UPA governments, the letter mentioned, “…it is well known that members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled PMO.”
Slamming Congress for double standards, I&B minister Ashwini asked, “Manmohan Singh ji, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and before that Vijay Kelkar ji became finance secretary through lateral entry. Did Congress take care of principle of reservation at that time?”