Modi Govt withdraws UPSC lateral entry ad amid pressure from allies and oppn

The BJP-led NDA government has withdrawn its controversial UPSC lateral entry advertisement put out recently, following strong objections from its allies, the Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Janata Dal (United) (JDU).

The decision came on Tuesday, 20 August, in response to mounting pressure from coalition partners who expressed serious concerns over the policy. The opposition too had been vociferous in criticising this form of recruitment for non-specialised posts.

Union minister Jitendra Singh, apparently acting on directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, formally asked for the cancellation of the advertisement in a letter to the chairman of the UPSC.

Singh also made a point of sharing the letter on X, highlighting Modi's insistence that all such recruitment "should be aligned with social justice".

In his letter, Singh emphasised, 'I am addressing you on the critical issue of lateral entry into the Government of India. Recently, the UPSC issued an advertisement for several lateral entry posts at various levels within the Central Government. It is well known that the principle of lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, constituted in 2005 under the chairmanship of Shri Veerappa Moily. The Sixth Pay Commission in 2013 also supported this direction.'

He continued: "The Hon'ble Prime Minister is firmly of the view that the lateral entry process must be consistent with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning reservation provisions.'

The way lateral entry can cut into reservation quotas for SC, ST and OBC candidates has been a concern vociferously raised by the Opposition as well.

Reacting to the rollback, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress will 'protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil conspiracies like BJP's 'lateral entry' at any cost.'

Posting on X, the Congress leader said: 'I am saying it again — by breaking the 50 per cent reservation limit, we will ensure social justice on the basis of caste count. Jai Hind."

RJD leader Manoj Jha also posted on social media, saying, 'GOI is literally 'forced to rollback' the decision on lateral entry is not an ordinary achievement. All those who could see a design against constitutional principles of 'social justice' and expressed their anguish need to realise that only 'they have made it possible'.'

The advertisement, issued by the UPSC last Saturday, sought 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' for lateral recruitment to senior positions within the Union government, including roles such as joint secretary, director and deputy secretary across 24 ministries, totalling 45 posts.

The move sparked backlash from the Congress party, which accused the government of undermining caste-based reservations. Rahul Gandhi has called the move "an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis".

BJP ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan also opposed the initiative, asserting that quotas were sacrosanct.

The JDU has echoed this stance, further amplifying the dissent.

However, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) voiced support for the initiative, arguing that lateral entry into the bureaucracy "will enhance the quality of governance and improve service delivery to the common citizen".