Govt Extends Term For 17 Laterally-Recruited Officers

Out of 17 officers, three are serving as Joint Secretaries, while 12 are Directors and two as Deputy Secretaries in various ministries and departments of the Government of India. 

The officers appointed on contract would be required to sign a fresh contract for the period of their extended appointment, as they have been given extension for 1-2 years. The terms and conditions “will remain the same as for their initial appointment for three years”.

The UPSC's August 17, 2024 advertisement for lateral recruitment was cancelled within three days, as questions were raised about the lack of reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in these jobs. 

In one of his ‘X’ posts, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Reservation of SC, ST and OBC is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government.” 

The UPSC decided to rescind its advertisement for 45 lateral-entry posts on August 20, 2024, soon after Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to the Chairman of the top recruitment body. The Minister had then said that the aspect of reservation in lateral recruitment “needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Hon'ble Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice”.

However, pending the promised initiative with regards to providing reservation in later entry, the DoPT, in an order issued on December 17, put out a list of 17 lateral-entry officers whose three-year term — expiring either later this year on in early 2025 — will stand extended to late-2026 or early-2027.

In his letter requesting the UPSC to cancel the advertisement on 45 lateral entry posts in August, the MoS (Personnel) had also underlined that the lateral entry principle was endorsed by the Administrative Reforms Commission and recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission. Till now, the current dispensation has filled over 60 senior posts in the government through lateral appointments.

The list of lateral entry officers given extension: 

Balasubramanian Krishnamurthy (Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue) on contract: Extended up to January 16, 2027 (w.e.f. January 16, 2025)

Samuel Praveen Kumar (Joint Secretary, Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare) on deputation: Extended up to December 30, 2026 (w.e.f. December 30, 2024)

Manish Chadha (Joint Secretary, Commerce) on contract: Extended up to January 6, 2027 (w.e.f. January 6, 2025) 

Govind K Bansal (Director, Health & Family Welfare) on contract: Extended up to December 30, 2025 (w.e.f. December 30, 2024) 

Sagar Rameshrao Kadu (Director, Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) on deputation: Extended up to December 29, 2026 (w.e.f. December 29, 2024)

Harsha Bhowmik (Director, Economic Affairs) on contract: Extended up to January 19, 2027 (w.e.f. January 19, 2025) 

Prabhu Narayan (Director, Economic Affairs) on deputation: Extended up to December 30, 2025 (w.e.f. December 30, 2024)

Mateshwari Prasad Mishra (Director, Food & Public Distribution) on deputation: Extended up to December 30, 2026 (w.e.f. December 30, 2024)

Haimanti Bhattacharya (Director, Legal Affairs) on contract: Extended up to January, 11, 2026 (w.e.f. January 11, 2025) 

Mandakini Balodhi (Director, Financial Service) on deputation: Extended up to December 15, 2026 (w.e.f. December 15, 2024)

Kapil Ashok Bendre (Director, Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare) on contract: Extended up to December 30, 2026 (w.e.f. December 30, 2024)

Shekhar Chaudhary (Director, Economic Affairs) on deputation: Extended up to December 27, 2025 (w.e.f. December 27, 2024)

Neeraj Gaba (Director, Commerce) on contract: Extended up to February 27, 2026 (w.e.f. February 28, 2025)

Hardik Sheth (Director, Financial Services) on deputation: Extended up to January 3, 2027 (w.e.f. January 3, 2025)

Bidur Kant Jha (Director, Road Transport & Highways) on contract: Extended up to December 14, 2026 (w.e.f. December 14, 2024)

Gaurav Kishor Joshi (Deputy Secretary, Heavy Industry) on contract: Extended up to January 9, 2026 (w.e.f. January 10, 2025)

G Sarathy Raja (Deputy Secretary, Steel) on contract: Extended up to February 6, 2027 (w.e.f. February 6, 2025)