New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday clarified that the government remains open to lateral entry recruitment in civil services, dismissing speculation that the initiative has been shelved.
“We are still open to it (lateral entry recruitment). It is not being abandoned,” said Singh, who holds charge of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. He was addressing a press conference marking “11 Years of Seva and Transformative Governance” in the national capital.
Lateral entry refers to the induction of domain experts, often from the private sector, into key government roles. The initiative, introduced under the Narendra Modi-led government, was aimed at infusing expertise into policy-making and administrative processes.
Clarifying recent developments, Singh said, “No, we have not suspended (lateral entry) it.” His comments come months after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) withdrew an August 2024 advertisement that had invited applications for 45 senior-level positions through lateral entry. The move had drawn criticism from opposition leaders over the absence of reservation provisions.
Responding to the controversy, Singh remarked that such appointments were not unprecedented. “The most important, the most famous lateral entry in the government of India since 1947 has been that of Dr Manmohan Singh… There have been Montek Singh Ahluwalia and many others,” he said, citing examples of senior officials who entered government through non-traditional routes.
Singh added that the current government had sought to regularise the process by routing such recruitments through the UPSC. “We tried to institutionalise it,” he said, reaffirming the government’s continued openness to the idea.
The press briefing also saw senior officials from departments under the Personnel Ministry addressing related issues. On the alleged misuse of quota benefits, Additional Secretary A.P. Das Joshi said, “Post Pooja Khedkar (case), we have put a lot of mechanisms in place... We also received a lot of complaints on social media, which we thoroughly investigated. In most of the cases, we did not find anything negative.”
He confirmed that one case is currently under investigation and appropriate action would be taken based on its outcome.
Singh also spoke about administrative reforms under the Modi government, highlighting the repeal of over 1,600 obsolete laws. “For the first time since Independence, a government has taken pride in doing away with redundant rules,” he said.
On the public grievance front, the minister noted that the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) now processes over 26 lakh complaints annually, with a disposal rate of up to 96 per cent.