Lateral entry into bureaucracy: NDA a divided house? Two key BJP allies oppose the move

A couple of allies in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA have opposed the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) decision to fill 45 government posts through lateral entry.

The two prominent BJP allies from Bihar – the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) – opposed the move.

“We are a party that has been asking governments to fill quotas since inception. We are followers of Ram Manohar Lohia. When people have been socially disadvantaged for centuries, why are you seeking merit? This order by the government is a matter of serious concern for us,” JD(U) national spokesperson KC Tyagi was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

The JD-U spokesperson said that by this decision, the government gave the issue to the opposition INDIA bloc on a platter.

The UPSC, on August 18, advertised 45 posts to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. Earlier this month, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha that as many as 63 appointments have been made through lateral entry in the last five years.

The move was critisised by opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi who called it an ‘attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis’. In response, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal slammed Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, by reminding him that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was made the finance secretary in 1976 through the lateral entry route.

Among NDA allies, Union Minister Chirag Paswan who is the LJP (Ram Vilas) president and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, is not happy either. “Reservation provisions must be there in any government appointment. There are no ifs and buts in this. No reservation exists in the private sector and if it is not implemented in government positions as well … The information came up before me on Sunday and it is a matter of concern for me,” Paswan was quoted by news agency PTI. Paswan said that his party was absolutely not in support of such a measure.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the other BJP ally, has, however, supported it.

“Several of these (government) departments need expertise and we are happy that the lateral entry is being brought in. We have always been in favour of taking expertise from the private sector into the government,” Andhra Pradesh minister and TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh told the Indian Express.

What is lateral entry ?

Lateral entry into bureaucracy is a practice of recruiting individuals from outside the traditional government service cadres to fill mid and senior-level positions. This was formally introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, with the first set of vacancies announced in 2018.

Candidates are typically hired on contracts ranging from three to five years, with potential extensions based on performance The move aims to keep in line with Modi government’s ambitious plan to infuse fresh talent to further improve ease of governance.

The forty five specialists will be joining key posts of joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries in different central ministries in Government of India.