Government opens doors to lateral entry

Invites applicants at Joint Secretary-level posts.

Sign the contract in the office. Flat illustration of business man signing document and putting his signature on the paper. Professional manager sitting at work desk with laptop and drinking coffee

In an apparent bid to bring in expertise from the private sector individuals and infuse talent into the country’s bureaucracy, the BJP-led NDA government has invited “outstanding individuals” to join the government at the joint secretary level at the Centre.

For starters, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has invited applications for 10 senior level positions in the Departments of Economic Affairs, Revenue, Commerce and Highways among others.

The notification issued on Sunday by the DoPT says it is looking for 10 “outstanding individuals”, who are willing to contribute towards nation building.

As per the notification, the eligibility criteria includes “Individuals working at comparable levels in Private Sector Companies, Consultancy Organisations, International/Multinational Organisations with a minimum of 15 years' experience” besides those working in central public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, statutory organisations, research bodies and universities.

According to the DopT, the recruitment will be on contract basis for three to five years. The intake will be made in 10 departments initially but will expand to other categories in the second phase.

The advertisement from the DoPT says the government wants to fill in 10 joint secretary level positions, which are normally filled by career bureaucrats, who join the service after passing UPSC exam., which prepares merit list and allot the different cadres like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS as per the marks obtained in the three tier exam.

The post of joint secretary (JS) is crucial for policy making and implementation of government programmes and schemes, with most crucial decisions in ministries and departments taken by bureaucrats appointed JS.

Though the idea of lateral entry of private individuals into the administrative framework has been under discussion for some years now, this is the first move towards implementing the idea, which is generating curious debate on the pros and cons of the move.

The departments for which applicants are sought include Revenue, Financial Services, Economic Affairs, Commerce and Civil Aviation, Agriculture and Cooperation, Highways and Shipping and Environment and Climate Change.

The notification specifies a minimum age of 40 years and minimum qualification of graduation from a recognised university or institute while higher qualification will be an added advantage.