Modi govt gives fresh push to lateral recruitment, decides to induct 17 private sector specialists

Giving a fresh push to its ambitious plan to infuse private sector talent in its departments, the Centre has decided to recruit 17 senior officers through lateral entry mode.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to induct these senior officers from the private sector in six departments at the level of joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries on contract basis, officials said on Tuesday.

This is the fourth such recruitment drive proposed to be undertaken by the Narendra Modi government which had in 2018 initiated lateral entry - referred to as the appointment of private sector specialists in government departments - to bring fresh talent and augment the availability of manpower.

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Usually, the posts of joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries are held by officers of all-India and Group A services, among others.

The latest recruitment will be in the Department of Health and Family Welfare under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Power, Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the officials said.

The proposed recruitment is in addition to 20 such specialists - four joint secretaries and 16 directors/deputy secretaries - sought to be inducted through lateral recruitment. The UPSC has already issued an advertisement to fill these posts on May 20.

Now, as per the requisition received from the DoPT, the UPSC will fill additional 17 posts of the level of joint secretary/director/ deputy secretary on contract basis, the officials said citing a government note in this regard.

A detailed advertisement and instructions to the candidates will be uploaded on the Commission’s website on June 3rd, 2023. Interested candidates can apply from 3rd June 2023 to 3rd July 2023.

The candidates will be short-listed for interview on the basis of the information provided by them in their online application and they must ensure that such information is correct, according to the official note.

The Personnel Ministry had in June 2018 invited applications against 10 joint secretary-rank posts through lateral entry mode for the first time. The recruitment for these posts was also done by the UPSC.

The Commission had again in October 2021 recommended 31 candidates for the appointment as joint secretaries (3), directors (19), and deputy secretaries (9) in different central government departments, as part of the second tranche of lateral entry recruitment.

On May 20th, the process for such recruitment for the third time was initiated with the issuance of a detailed advertisement by the UPSC.