The stunning reversal was after intense opposition criticism and pressure from ally Chirag Paswan, who had also expressed reservations against the move….reports Asian Lite News
In a significant climbdown over lateral entry into bureaucracy, the Centre on Tuesday asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the advertisement for recruitment of “people of expertise” in government departments and ministries.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in a letter to the UPSC chief, reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm belief in the process of lateral entry and underscored the “need to align it with the principles of equity and social justice as enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation”.
“While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open,” the Minister for Department of Personnel and Training said.
“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,” he further added.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has welcomed the move and said that this will not only strengthen the principles of social justice but also advance the welfare of the weakest section of society.
“The decision to align lateral entry with principles of reservation shows PM Modi’s commitment to social justice,” wrote Minister of Railways, I&B and Electronics and IT on social media platform X.
The move comes after BJP allies, including Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United), vented their objection over the proposed lateral entry for about 45 posts, without offering any reservation to the backward classes.
Congress and the INDIA bloc have launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over the move and called it an “attack on the Dalits and OBCs”.
Notably, the controversy over lateral entry into bureaucracy broke after the UPSC issued an advertisement on August 17, notifying about the “vacancy” for 45 domain experts in the rank and pay of Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Directors.
Out of 45, ten experts were to be hired as Joint Secretaries while the rest were to be “absorbed” in the ranks of Directors or deputy secretaries across ministries including finance, electronics, agriculture, environment, and renewable energy.
‘Will foil BJP conspiracies’
Shortly after the Union Government decided to cancel the advertisement by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that had called for lateral entry jobs in mid-level posts in the Central Government, the Congress has claimed a victory for opposing the scheme.
In a post on X, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, “We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil conspiracies like BJP’s ‘lateral entry’ at any cost. I am saying it again – by breaking the 50% reservation limit, we will ensure social justice based on the caste census. Jai Hind.”
Another senior Congress MP, Manickam Tagore said, “2024 has given us two outcomes: a weak Prime Minister and a strong People’s Leader of the Opposition. In the end, it’s a victory for our Constitution. Jai Hind Jai Constitution”
‘Harsh lesson for PM’
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal dubbed it as a “harsh lesson” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-RSS regime.
In a post on X, Venugopal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the lateral entry system as a means to undermine reservation policies.
He highlighted that for six years, numerous voices have raised concerns about how the lateral entry system threatens to dismantle reservation provisions in the bureaucracy.
“Let this lateral entry incident serve as a harsh lesson for PM Modi and the BJP-RSS regime to never tamper with the Constitution. The lateral entry system was introduced in 2018. For 6 years, countless voices exposed how lateral entry in the bureaucracy is a ploy to destroy reservations,” the Congress leader said.
“Under INC President Mallikarjun Kharge and LOP Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, we will be the staunchest guardians of our Constitution and reservations. No attempt to dilute representation and fundamental rights of SC, ST, OBCs will be allowed,” he added.
The Congress leader also praised National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies who stood up “to the injustice being plotted by their ally BJP.”
“The Union should put the lateral entry mechanism to rest and take urgent steps to ensure there is adequate representation for marginalised communities in the senior bureaucracy,” he urged.
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