Lateral Entry into Civil Services- Rationale and Criticisms- Explained pointwise

The UPSC has brought the issue of lateral entry into civil services back into focus by inviting applications for 45 posts, from talented and motivated Indian nationals for the roles of Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary in 24 Union government ministries. However, opposition parties have criticized the policy of lateral entry into civil services, for lacking reservations for SC, ST, and OBC candidates.

In this article, we will delve into the issue of lateral entry, and the rationale behind its introduction. We will also focus on its criticisms, and look into the measures that need to be taken to address the concerns.

What is Lateral Entry? What is the background of its introduction?

Lateral entry into civil services in India refers to the recruitment of professionals from the private sector at the middle and senior management levels of the Government. This initiative aims to bring in specialized skills and expertise that may not be present within the traditional bureaucratic framework.

The lateral entry appointments are done on a contractual basis. The appointments are mainly made to the post of Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Director positions in the Central secretariat. These ‘lateral entrants’ become a part of the central secretariat, which, till now, had only career bureaucrats from the All India Services/ Central Civil Services.

Background of Introduction

Implementation of Lateral Entry in India

Process of Lateral Entry- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertises vacancies for lateral entry. Applications are invited for lateral entry against these advertised posts. After a selection process instituted by the UPSC, individuals are recommended for appointment.

63 appointments have been made through lateral entry in the last five years by the government.

What is the rationale behind Lateral Entry into civil services?

1. Need for specialists and fresh talent- The inclusion of professionals from diverse backgrounds can help in invigorating the bureaucracy with new ideas and innovative approaches. For ex- The generalist civil servants often lack domain specific knowledge and fail to incorporate the views of other stakeholders such as private sector, NGO’s etc.

2. Meeting the shortage of Personnel at the centre- The Baswan Committee (2016) had pointed to the unwillingness of large states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in sponsoring officers for central deputation, due to deficit of officers in their states. The lateral entry of officers can help in addressing the shortage of staff at the central level.

3. Strengthening of participatory Governance- The lateral entry also aims to strengthen participatory governance, by providing the private sector and NGOs an opportunity to participate in the governance process.

4. Improvement of Governance efficiency- The recruitment of private individuals as consultants, officers on special duty by Central government ministries has given fruitful results in the past. For ex- Appointment of Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Planning Commission), Vijay Kelkar (Ministry of Finance) and Parmeshwaran Iyer (Swacch Bharat Mission).
Thus, there is a need for encouraging private participation at middle-level positions to improve efficiency.

5. Fixing the flaw in public service recruitment- There are many potential and good administrators who do not participate in examinations conducted by the government during their young age. Lateral entry provides an opportunity for them, to be part of the governance machinery and contribute to nation building.

6. Promotion of Healthy competitive spirit- Lateral entry aims to promote a sense of healthy competition in bureaucracy. It induces generalist civil servants to develop expertise in areas of their choice.

7. Bridging Public-Private Gap- After the economic reforms in 1991, the Indian government has taken up the role of a facilitator of public services. Private sector has assumed a greater responsibility for capital expenditure, investment, and development.
Lateral entry provides a platform for greater collaboration between the government and private sector. It allows stakeholders like industry experts and non-profits to participate more directly in the governance process.

8. Inline with Global best practices- Countries like United States, Belgium, the UK, Australia and New Zealand have institutionalized the practice of lateral entry, as a permanent part of their system. In countries like the United Kingdom and Ireland, the selection of officers is on the criteria of work experience in the civil as well as the private sector.

What are the criticisms of lateral entry system?

1. Ambiguity in recruitment process- There are concerns regarding the ambiguities in the recruitment process of lateral entrants such as determination of vacancy, shortlisting of candidates, evaluation procedure etc.

2. Sidelining of reservation policy- The vulnerable sections like SCs, STs, OBCs etc. have criticized the process for sidelining the reservation policy, as there is no provision of reservation in appointment of lateral entrants. For ex- Non implementation of 13 point roster system of reservation in lateral entry.

3. Lack of Familiarity with Bureaucratic Processes- The civil servants reaching top positions like Joint secretary level, serve 10-15 years at ground level and are fully well-versed with the bureaucratic process. On the other hand, the lateral entrants, hired based on their theoretical (subject) experience, often lack a deep understanding of the bureaucratic system and its established protocols.

4. Short Tenure and Impact- Lateral entry positions are typically contract-based for a limited duration (three to five years). The lateral entrants find it difficult to assimilate in the bureaucratic structure within their short contractual time. This also reduces the probability of delivering optimum results within due time.

5. Potential Conflict of Interest- There are concerns regarding potential conflict of interest arising in policy formulation. Private people may be focused on profit maximization, while government officials aspire to public service.

6. Potentially Discouraging for Motivated Civil Servants- Large-scale lateral induction may discourage motivated and talented officers by signalling that the current bureaucrats are not competent to run the government.

What should be the way Forward?

1. Maintenance of balance- The government needs to maintain a fine balance between the career civil servants and the lateral entrants. The number of lateral entrants should be kept optimal and minimal.

2. Phased Implementation- The lateral entry program should be implemented in a phased manner by taking feedback and outcomes from initial recruitments. This will ensure that the integration of private sector professionals is smooth and effective.

3. Implementation of reservation policy- The lateral entry system should aim to implement the ‘13 point roster system‘ which provides for reservation. This will address the concerns of the SC, ST and OBC communities, regarding their perceived marginalisation.

4. Clearly defined recruitment rules and procedures- The recruitment and service rules for lateral entry posts need to be clearly defined and made incentive-compatible. For ex- A entry-level test to check the analytical skills, judgement capabilities, and personality traits.

5. Steps for assimilation with bureaucratic structure- A greater weightage can be provided for ‘prior consultation work’ with the government, as these people will face less difficulty in assimilation with the bureaucratic structure.

6. Exploration of Allocation of cadres- The option of allocating cadres for lateral entrants can be explored. These lateral entrants can be put for at least one year under State governments, for field level training and exposure.

7. Restriction to few technical sectors- The appointment should be restricted to sectors of finance, economy and infrastructure, which are technical in nature. It should not be extended to Home, Defence, Personnel etc.

Conclusion

The performance of the Indian bureaucratic structure can definitely be complemented with the lateral entry process. Lateral entrants can complement the regular government officials by bringing in new outside talents, pushing the government officials to work more for public welfare, etc. But a definite policy is the need of the hour to make the system of lateral entry more inclusive, transparent and effective.