New Delhi. The matter of restoration of direct access to the government level through lateral-entry of private sector experts is pending. For the restoration of experts, the search-cum-selection committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, has limited its participation in the lateral-entry. The committee has said that they have no infrastructure and experience of recruitment. The committee says that UPSC can do this work better, or the government’s ministry itself will restore the expertise. The government wants the search committee to reconsider its decision and take responsibility for the selection of candidates.
The government seems to be restless by this decision of the search-cum-selection committee, headed by the cabinet secretary. Although the government has rejected the fears of political interference of the search committee, it has already said that the government wants cooperation of talented people in nation building. State minister Jitendra Singh in the Prime Minister’s Office said in the Parliament sometime back that, “it is only after the suggestion of the Commission that the government has decided to include the private sector people in the government. But this does not mean that the IAS Officers are inferior in any way.”
This is a reminder here that considering the lateral-entry as logical, the policy commission has explained that “In order to co-ordinate with the complexities in the current economy, private or any special sector people with expertise in the respective sector should be included in the system through lateral entry. This will create a positive competition between the IAS officers. With this thought, the government on June 11 had asked the candidates for the restoration of joint secretaries in almost every ministry from the private sector. It is a matter of fact that unlike the government’s expectations, only six thousand people applied. Why did this happen? One reason for this is that the present term of the government is about to end.
BJP spokes person Vijay Sonkar Shastri
BJP spokesperson Vijay Sonkar Shastri says, “Most decisions of the central government are of the people’s interest. The process of lateral entry should be seen in such a way that if the opinions of experts in any field are framed on the Joint Secretary level then the implementation of the same will be beneficial for all people. He further says,” In the Government of Prime Minister Modi views of the people are heard with an open mind. There are a lot of suggestions that are perceived and understood by the people’s participation in the Prime Minister’s Office. Almost every ministry or bureaucrat suggests programs or presents a presentation for reaching people to share their ideas or government policies. These are witnessed by Prime Minister Modi himself and also implemented when found better. It has not been in history yet.”
As far as government mechanism is concerned, the Secretary-level officials in government are responsible for policy formulation and implementation of the policy, they report directly to the secretary or additional secretary. They are recruited through the UPSC examination when they qualify the same. The Government intends that if a specialist in the field is restored to the level of Joint Secretary through the introduction of lateral-entry, can recommend better program in the public interest. There have been cases of such recruitments. But the in-office is such that the ideas and suggestions of non-IAS people recruited in Government from the lateral entry are not welcomed by the IAS Officers. The news of the collision of the IAS lobby and the bureaucrats who have found their place in the government from the lateral entry has become common news in the bureaucratic circle. News of this kind of collision in the Ministry of Social Welfare has become a topic of gossip. The ideas given by non-IAS people are being considered as if the exercise of implementing the agenda of a particular party is going on.
RPN Singh ,Former State Minister Home
Former Home Minister for State R.P.N Singh says, “Lateral entry is nothing but an exercise of fabricating its own people in the government system. This Government has given a new name to the back door entry. Actually, this government is engaged in the termination of the institutions. The question arises that, after passing the Civil Services Examination at the All India level, if one goes to the government, then what is the meaning of lateral entry in the name of simplifying the process, it is clear that you want your people into the government. The government cannot answer it well. If that happens then it is natural to have a collision between non-IAS and IAS people.”
This is probably the reason that the search committee has shirked its responsibility from the lateral entry in a way that it has no basic structure like UPSC for the restoration of the job. It reminded the government that the government had asked for an application to appoint private sector experts in the rank of Joint Secretary Level. And the last date for the same was 31st July. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) hoped that approximately one lakh people would apply, but only six thousand applications were received. But before the selection process for these posts could begin, on July 23, the search committee shook off its stand and asked the government to take its own decision or have suggested selection through UPSC. Vijay Sonkar Shastri says, “He is not aware about this, so he will not want to comment on this.”
But R.P.N Singh says, “He is not aware of the verdict of the search-cum-selection committee but if it is such that the committee has described the lacuna for the selection process in the lateral entry, what is wrong in it. The government believes that the people of the state who are not worthy of their own discipline, then the UPSC exam cannot be a success for them. This should be a warm welcome to enter the government.”
