Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took strong objection to the Modi government’s proposal to induct professionals with domain expertise in various ministries on the ranks of Joint Secretary, Director and other senior positions and also likened the move to ‘privatisation of IAS’.
The Congress former president accused the government of undermining the Constitution by bypassing the traditional recruitment process under the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and claimed that those having affiliations with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are being prioritised.
He called the government’s decision to recruit public servants through lateral entry an ‘anti-national step’, alleging that it is ‘openly snatching away’ reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. He alleged that privatisation of the IAS is Modi’s guarantee for ending reservation.
Rahul Gandhi deplored that this is a robbery of the rights of talented youth preparing for UPSC and an attack on the concept of social justice including reservation for the underprivileged.
“Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting civil servants through the ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)’ instead of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Reservation of SC, ST and OBC classes is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
The UPSC on Saturday advertised 45 posts — 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries — to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. It is the biggest tranche of lateral recruitment being undertaken by the Centre, an official said.
“I have always said that the underprivileged are not represented in all the country’s top posts, including the top bureaucracy. Instead of improving it, they are being pushed further away from the top posts through lateral entry,” he added.
As the advertisement revealed the government’s plan to give ‘direction and pace’ to the administrative machinery with expert recruits, the Congress and INDIA bloc called it a ‘deliberate attempt’ by the BJP to deprive the SC, ST and OBCs of their role in government departments.
