NEW DELHI: Four months after UPSC, on the request of ministry of personnel, cancelled an advertisement for lateral entry to 45 govt posts, appointment committee of the Cabinet has approved a 1-2 year extension in the three-year tenure of 17 laterally-recruited officers currently on deputation or contract.
The officers concerned – at the level of joint secretary, director or deputy secretary – will be required to sign a fresh contract of lateral recruitment, for the period of their extended appointment. The terms and conditions will remain the same as for their initial appointment for three years.
The advertisement dated Aug 17, 2024 was cancelled three days after it was issued, following questions over the lack of reservation in these jobs. “Reservation of SC, ST, and OBC classes is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of govt,” leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi had alleged on X.
UPSC on Aug 20 rescinded the advertisement, hours after minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to its chairman, saying that the aspect of reservation “needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of PM’s focus on ensuring social justice”.
Pending the promised reform, however, DoPT on Tuesday, put out a list of 17 lateral-entry officers whose three-year term, expiring either later this year on in early 2025, will stand extended to late 2026 end or early 2027. The 17 beneficiary officers, serving across a dozen govt departments/ministries, include three joint secretaries, 12 director-level officers and two deputy secretaries.