Explainer: All you want to know about the controversial lateral entry concept

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 20

The issue of need for specialised skills in key government positions was first discussed by India's first Administrative Reforms Commission established in 1966 under the chairmanship of Morarji Desai who was succeeded by K Hanumanthaiah.

This commission laid the groundwork for future discussions on the need for specialized skills within the civil services. While it did not specifically advocate for lateral entry as understood today, it emphasized professionalization, training, and personnel management reforms to ensure the bureaucracy could effectively meet the challenges of a rapidly changing nation.

The concept of lateral entry of private experts into government posts was recommended formally for the first time by the second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Congress leader Veerappa Moily in 2005 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress led UPA dispensation.

The second ARC was established to recommend reforms to enhance the effectiveness, transparency, and citizen-friendliness of the Indian administrative system.

In its tenth Report titled, “Refurbishing of Personnel Administration – Scaling New Heights,” the Commission emphasised the need for reforms in personnel management within the civil services.

One of its key recommendations was to introduce lateral entry into higher government positions requiring specialized knowledge and skills.

The ARC identified that certain government roles require specialized knowledge not always available within the traditional civil services. It recommended recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings to fill these gaps.

It proposed the creation of a talent pool of professionals who could be inducted into the government on a short-term or contractual basis, bringing fresh perspectives and cutting-edge expertise in areas such as economics, finance, technology, and public policy.

On selection process the second ARC emphasized the importance of a transparent and merit-based selection process for lateral entrants, suggesting the establishment of a dedicated agency to oversee their recruitment and management.

It recommended a robust performance management system to hold lateral entrants accountable for their work and regularly assess their contributions. The ARC stressed the importance of integrating lateral entrants into the existing civil services in a manner that maintains the integrity and ethos of the civil service while leveraging the specialized skills they bring.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP led NDA government, lateral entry scheme was formally introduced in the government for the first time in 2018 when the government took a significant step by announcing vacancies for senior positions such as Joint Secretaries and Directors.

This was the first time that professionals from both the private and public sectors were invited to apply for these high-level roles. The selection process was rigorous, emphasizing candidates' qualifications, experience, and suitability for these strategic positions.

“This initiative was not without precedent; it was deeply influenced by the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), which had earlier laid the conceptual groundwork for lateral entry. The ARC had emphasized the importance of bringing external expertise into the civil services to make the administration more dynamic and responsive to the complexities of modern governance,” Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The BJP leaders say the recruitment of Joint Secretaries in 2018 effectively operationalized the ARC's vision, demonstrating a commitment to integrating specialized skills from outside the traditional civil service framework.

“These reforms have continued to influence ongoing discussions about how best to modernize India's public administration, ensuring it meets the evolving demands of governance in the 21st century,” they add.

Even historically the Government of India has inducted outside talent into higher tiers of government, typically in advisory roles but occasionally even in key administrative assignments.

For instance, the Chief Economic Advisor is traditionally a lateral entrant who, according to the rules, must be below 45 years of age and is invariably an eminent economist. Additionally, several other distinguished individuals have been appointed at the highest levels as Secretaries to the Government.

Under Congress-led UPA, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani was appointed chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, which is mandated with issuing unique Aadhaar ID numbers.

Though the BJP government, facing criticism for UPSC's August 17 ads to induct 45 lateral entrants without provisions for SC, ST, OBC quota, on Tuesday cancelled the induction plan, records show that lateral entry posts have never in the past been advertised with SC, ST, OBC quotas.

Under current department of personnel and training rules lateral entry posts are defined as single cadre posts to which SC, ST, OBC quotas are not applicable so far.

The BJP government while cancelling the latest lateral entry plan has said they will review lack of reservations in single cadre posts and reform the lateral entry system which, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh says, “has not been done before.”