NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) move to cancel advertisement for 45 lateral entry jobs in mid-level government posts on Tuesday is the first indication that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third straight term in office is more of NDA 3.0 – a coalition government in which allies play a crucial role rather than Modi 3.0 like his first two terms when the BJP had the majority and decided most of the governance agenda.
No matter how much the opposition takes credit for this “victory” over the Modi government’s rare U-turn, it was the pressure of allies that perhaps forced a rethink. At least two partners of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Chirag Paswan’s LJP – had opposed any special recruitment drive that did not factor in caste reservations.
Paswan had called the lateral entry scheme “completely wrong” as it bypassed the reservation system and deprived the backward classes of an opportunity for recruitment to top posts. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi had called the government order a “matter of concern” for the party.
The opposition was quick to unleash a strong attack at the Centre calling the UPSC move against the Constitution and accusing the BJP of using lateral entry as a tool to end reservations in jobs. Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD and DMK alleged that the government was working in tandem with the RSS to end reservations in government jobs. Having suffered electorally from a similar opposition narrative during the Lok Sabha elections and under pressure from its allies, the BJP was quick to course correct.
Union minister Jitendra Singh shot off a letter to the UPSC chairman requesting cancellation of the lateral entry advertisement as per the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter highlighted the Prime Minister’s concerns for equity and social justice even as it targeted the “ad-hoc lateral entries” made under the Congress-led UPA rule.
“The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity,” the letter read.
“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. 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 needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice,” the letter added.
News agency PTI quoting official sources said the decision to cancel the advertisement was taken by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the government would now review the lateral-entry recruitment drive with reference to the applicability of reservation provisions in it.
At present, the sources said, there is no policy and provision for reservation for these specialised or single-cadre posts. They said comments and concerns of all stakeholders would be taken into account by the government to find out whether or not reservation can be applied to lateral-entry recruitment.
The govt also defended its move and said the concept of lateral entry has been in practice since the 1950s and specialists such as IG Patel, Manmohan Singh, V Krishnamurthy, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and RV Shahi were all a part of that process.
In 1959, PM Jawaharlal Nehru started the industrial management pool that saw the likes of Mantosh Sodhi join the government and later become secretary of heavy industry. V Krishnamurthy, who successfully led PSUs such as BHEL and SAIL, was another lateral entry who was the heavy industry secretary. Similarly, D V Kapur went on to head three ministries – power, heavy industry and chemicals and petrochemical. Before then, in 1954, I G Patel joined as deputy economic adviser from IMF and later went on to become economic affairs secretary and RBI governor.
However, with the government on the back foot, the opposition was quick to claim victory.
Reacting to the development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Long live the Constitution! The Congress party’s fight for social justice for our Dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has foiled the BJP’s plans to snatch away reservation.” “Modi government’s letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of a dictatorial regime,” the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.
Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi went a step ahead and reiterated Congress’s resolve to remove the 50% reservation cap and ensure social justice on the basis of caste census. Caste census has been one of the key focus areas of the opposition camp given the divisions within the NDA allies over the issue.
Former Union law minister M Veerappa Moily, who chaired the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) which recommended lateral entry into government services, maintained that the present NDA dispensation was not following the ARC guidelines in letter and spirit.
But while the opposition tried to score brownie points, it was the reaction of allies that gave some glimpse of what may have actually tilted the scales in favour of a U-turn.
BJP ally Chirag Paswan thanked Prime Minister Modi for reaffirming the government’s “commitment towards SCs, STs and OBCs.” “I thank my Prime Minister for seeking cancellation of lateral entry, on behalf of my Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This government has set a precedent. Hopefully, regimes of future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments,” Paswan said.
Paswan also slammed the Congress-led opposition for “selective criticism” of the ruling NDA and accused the previous governments of failure to fill up posts reserved for the deprived castes.
Another BJP ally in Bihar HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi welcomed the rollback order and said that this was a step in the right direction and also credited the Prime Minister for the move. “PM Modi has rightly taken note of the public sentiment and ordered the cancellation of UPSC advertisement,” he said.
In his first two terms, when the BJP had a majority on its own in Lok Sabha, PM Modi carried out several bold reforms and successfully implemented many decisions. He also did some course corrections, like taking back the three farm laws or contradicting his top minister on CAA. But these course corrections were forced by massive people protests.
Dependent on allies for the survival of the government in his third term, PM Modi had till now tried hard to send out the message that “it is business as usual” despite coalition compulsions. But the U-turn on lateral entry is perhaps the first indication that the allies may have influenced the agenda for the Modi government. It surely adds a new twist to the raging debate – is this NDA 3.0 or Modi 3.0?
No matter how much the opposition takes credit for this “victory” over the Modi government’s rare U-turn, it was the pressure of allies that perhaps forced a rethink. At least two partners of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Chirag Paswan’s LJP – had opposed any special recruitment drive that did not factor in caste reservations.
Paswan had called the lateral entry scheme “completely wrong” as it bypassed the reservation system and deprived the backward classes of an opportunity for recruitment to top posts. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi had called the government order a “matter of concern” for the party.
The opposition was quick to unleash a strong attack at the Centre calling the UPSC move against the Constitution and accusing the BJP of using lateral entry as a tool to end reservations in jobs. Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD and DMK alleged that the government was working in tandem with the RSS to end reservations in government jobs. Having suffered electorally from a similar opposition narrative during the Lok Sabha elections and under pressure from its allies, the BJP was quick to course correct.
Union minister Jitendra Singh shot off a letter to the UPSC chairman requesting cancellation of the lateral entry advertisement as per the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter highlighted the Prime Minister’s concerns for equity and social justice even as it targeted the “ad-hoc lateral entries” made under the Congress-led UPA rule.
“The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity,” the letter read.
“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. 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 needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice,” the letter added.
News agency PTI quoting official sources said the decision to cancel the advertisement was taken by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the government would now review the lateral-entry recruitment drive with reference to the applicability of reservation provisions in it.
At present, the sources said, there is no policy and provision for reservation for these specialised or single-cadre posts. They said comments and concerns of all stakeholders would be taken into account by the government to find out whether or not reservation can be applied to lateral-entry recruitment.
The govt also defended its move and said the concept of lateral entry has been in practice since the 1950s and specialists such as IG Patel, Manmohan Singh, V Krishnamurthy, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and RV Shahi were all a part of that process.
In 1959, PM Jawaharlal Nehru started the industrial management pool that saw the likes of Mantosh Sodhi join the government and later become secretary of heavy industry. V Krishnamurthy, who successfully led PSUs such as BHEL and SAIL, was another lateral entry who was the heavy industry secretary. Similarly, D V Kapur went on to head three ministries – power, heavy industry and chemicals and petrochemical. Before then, in 1954, I G Patel joined as deputy economic adviser from IMF and later went on to become economic affairs secretary and RBI governor.
However, with the government on the back foot, the opposition was quick to claim victory.
Reacting to the development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Long live the Constitution! The Congress party’s fight for social justice for our Dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has foiled the BJP’s plans to snatch away reservation.” “Modi government’s letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of a dictatorial regime,” the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.
Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi went a step ahead and reiterated Congress’s resolve to remove the 50% reservation cap and ensure social justice on the basis of caste census. Caste census has been one of the key focus areas of the opposition camp given the divisions within the NDA allies over the issue.
Former Union law minister M Veerappa Moily, who chaired the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) which recommended lateral entry into government services, maintained that the present NDA dispensation was not following the ARC guidelines in letter and spirit.
But while the opposition tried to score brownie points, it was the reaction of allies that gave some glimpse of what may have actually tilted the scales in favour of a U-turn.
BJP ally Chirag Paswan thanked Prime Minister Modi for reaffirming the government’s “commitment towards SCs, STs and OBCs.” “I thank my Prime Minister for seeking cancellation of lateral entry, on behalf of my Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This government has set a precedent. Hopefully, regimes of future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments,” Paswan said.
Paswan also slammed the Congress-led opposition for “selective criticism” of the ruling NDA and accused the previous governments of failure to fill up posts reserved for the deprived castes.
Another BJP ally in Bihar HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi welcomed the rollback order and said that this was a step in the right direction and also credited the Prime Minister for the move. “PM Modi has rightly taken note of the public sentiment and ordered the cancellation of UPSC advertisement,” he said.
In his first two terms, when the BJP had a majority on its own in Lok Sabha, PM Modi carried out several bold reforms and successfully implemented many decisions. He also did some course corrections, like taking back the three farm laws or contradicting his top minister on CAA. But these course corrections were forced by massive people protests.
Dependent on allies for the survival of the government in his third term, PM Modi had till now tried hard to send out the message that “it is business as usual” despite coalition compulsions. But the U-turn on lateral entry is perhaps the first indication that the allies may have influenced the agenda for the Modi government. It surely adds a new twist to the raging debate – is this NDA 3.0 or Modi 3.0?