Wed, Dec 31, 2025
Consultation Under Way With Various Ministries Over Lateral Entry To Govt Posts: Jitendra Singh
A political controversy had erupted on August 17, 2024, after the UPSC advertised posts for the recruitment of 45 professionals to the government through the lateral entry scheme. Following the backlash, the government cancelled the recruitment
Dec 30, 2025 · 2 min read
Over a year since the cancellation of lateral entry recruitment to various Ministries following a controversy, Union Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions Jitendra Singh says the government is holding consultations with various stakeholders on the matter.
Secretary of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) Rachna Shah said that the process was at a consultation stage. "If there are any modifications needed, we will engage with the Ministries and formulate a policy," she said.
The Controversy
On August 17, 2024, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertised posts for recruiting 45 Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries as specialists in government departments through the lateral entry scheme.
However, the government decided to stop the process after facing a political backlash. Several MPs pointed out the lack of reservations in the provisions of the scheme.
The Union Minister wrote a letter to the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment, following which it was cancelled. "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," the Minister's letter had read.
The Current Situation
As part of the first phase of the lateral entry process, the government had recruited 60 domain specialists to various Ministries. Sources said that about one-third of them have left their positions.
"As part of lateral entry, about 60 officers were recruited at the Joint Secretary-level in the government. Only about 38 to 40 of them are continuing with the government," the DoPT Secretary told The Secretariat.
What Is Lateral Entry
Lateral entry refers to the process of appointing individuals from outside the government directly to mid-level or senior positions.
The Central government's move for lateral entry was aimed at inducting domain-specific experts into the government. These domain experts were offered an appointment on contracts for three years, which can be extended to a maximum of five years. In 2017, the NITI Aayog had recommended the induction of personnel at mid and senior management levels to the Central government.
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