The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday cancelled its advertisement for recruitment to bureaucracy through lateral entry following a directive to this effect from the Centre. The cancellation comes amid a political row erupting over the issue.

The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 Joint Secretaries, directors and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry — referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in the Government departments.

This move had drawn criticism from the Opposition parties, which claimed it undermined the reservation rights of SCs, STs and OBCs.

“It is for information of all concerned that the advertisement pertaining to lateral recruitment for 45 posts at the level of Joint Secretary/director/Deputy Secretary in different departments published in the Employment News, various newspapers and on the website of the Commission on August 17, 2024 stands cancelled as requested by the requisitioning authority,” read a cancellation notice by the UPSC.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to UPSC chairperson Preeti Sudan asking her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalised communities get their rightful representation in Government services.

In the letter, Singh made it clear that for Prime Minister Narendra Modi reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of “our social justice framework” aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity.

“Since these positions have been treated as specialised 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,” he said.

“I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024,” he said.

Singh said this step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment. “It is well known that, as a principle, lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission which was constituted in 2005 under Veerappa Moily as its Chairperson. The recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in 2013 were also in the same direction,” he points out. “However, both before and after that there have been many cases of high-profile lateral entry,” Singh’s letter mentioned.

Under earlier Governments, posts as important as that of Secretary in various Ministries, leadership of UIDAI, etc, have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations, Singh said.

“Further, it is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.

While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, “the efforts of our government have been to make the process an institutionally-driven one, transparent and open”, the Minister said.

Further, 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 the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation, Singh said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the latest development, Union Minister Chirag Paswan asserted that the Modi Government at the Centre “has reaffirmed its commitment towards the SCs, STs and OBCs” by asking the UPSC to withdraw the advertisement for “lateral entry” into the bureaucracy.

Addressing a Press conference in Patna, 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.

“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. We hope regimes of the future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments,” Paswan said.

Asked about the criticism being faced by the Government over the issue, he said, “When the Opposition points an accusing finger at us, it needs to remember three fingers get pointed at it. Why didn’t these parties, while in power, ensure recruitments against posts reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs?”

In apparent reference to the issue, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs and foil “conspiracies” of the BJP.

“We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil the BJP’s conspiracies like that of ‘lateral entry’ at any cost,” Gandhi said in a social media post in Hindi.

“I am saying it again - by removing the 50 per cent reservation cap, we will ensure social justice based on caste census,” the former Congress chief said.