Centre asks UPSC to cancel lateral entry advertisement
The central government has asked the civil services recruitment body UPSC to cancel its latest advertisement for the lateral entry scheme after two allies joined Rahul Gandhi’s dogged opposition to the plan.
The Centre has said it needs to review the lack of reservation in such appointments.
In a letter to the UPSC chairperson Tuesday, Minister of State for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Jitendra Singh said, “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 Hon’ble Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment,” the letter further said.
According to sources, the government is likely to reintroduce lateral entry with reservations.
The UPSC had Saturday invited applications to 45 posts including joint secretary, director and deputy secretary under the lateral entry scheme — the largest recruitment sought by it since the launch of the scheme in 2018.