CIVIL SERVANTS USED POLITICIANS TO SABOTAGE LATERAL ENTRY

Some bureaucrats did not want to be identified as openly resisting the reform process and hence relied on their links with political leaders.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The lateral entry system, which has now ☐☐ been shelved because political opposition from BJP's allies and the opposition I.N.D.I.A group, was likely being supported by members of the existing Indian Administrative Service (IAS) lobby, which staged a significant pushback from within the system to ensure that the reform policy was not implemented. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that there was widespread anger within the bureaucratic circle as the government wanted to recruit a "significantly huge number" of 10 people for the post of Joint Secretary and 35 private individuals for the posts of Director and Deputy Secretary.

In the hierarchy of the Ministry of the Government of India, the bureaucracy follows this order: Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, and then Directors and Deputy Secretaries. According to statements made by Minister of State Jitendra Singh, a total of 63 appointments through lateral entry have been made over the past five years. As of now, 57 of these lateral entrants are actively serving in various ministries and departments.