The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has withdrawn its advertisement for 45 central government lateral entry positions following requests from the Centre amid backlash from both BJP allies and the Opposition. The cancellation came after conc...
Union Public Service Commission on Tuesday cancelled its advertisement to fill 45 posts in central government departments through lateral entry following a request from the Centre, which was forced to take the step following backlash from both BJP allies and Opposition. They had dubbed the move "anti-reservation".
A day after Opposition and BJP allies - Chirag Paswan and Janata Dal (United) - expressed concerns over the issue of lateral entry, Union minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to UPSC chairperson Preeti Sudan, urging her to cancel the advertisement.
In the letter, Singh said that for Prime Minister Narendra Modi reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of "our social justice framework", aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity.
"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," he said while urging UPSC to cancel the advertisement. Thereafter UPSC withdrew the advertisement.
Sources said the personnel ministry was studying how to implement reservation in the lateral entry. Singh underlined that lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Congress leader Veerappa Moily. "And the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in 2013 were also in the same direction," Singh said, adding that there have been several cases of high-profile entries.
Taking on Congress, Singh said: "It is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council (during the UPA government) used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister's Office."
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Echoing similar sentiments, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Modi govt has decided to apply the principle of reservation in lateral entry to ensure social justice. He said Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and before that "Vijay Kelkarji also became finance secretary through lateral entry only. Did Congress take care of the principle of reservation at that time".
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