Union Minister Chirag Paswan voiced strong opposition on Monday to the Centre’s recent initiative for lateral entry into government jobs, insisting that all appointments must comply with existing reservation provisions. Paswan, who leads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and is a key ally of the NDA, declared the government’s move as “completely wrong.”
The controversy arose following a recent advertisement by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for 45 posts—10 for joint secretaries and 35 for directors/deputy secretaries—to be filled through lateral entry on a contract basis. This marks the largest batch of such recruitments by the Centre, drawing criticism from various opposition parties.
“Reservation provisions must be there in any government appointment. There is no ifs and buts in this,” Paswan said, expressing concern that the lateral entry system could undermine reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. He emphasized that his party is firmly against this measure and vowed to raise the issue within the government.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), condemned the move, alleging it is a ploy by the BJP to install its ideological allies in key positions. The Congress described the initiative as a “conspiracy” to bypass traditional recruitment processes that ensure representation for marginalized communities.
However, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the lateral entry system, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy. Vaishnaw pointed out that the concept was initially developed by the UPA government, which recommended the recruitment of experts to fill gaps in roles requiring specialized knowledge. The NDA government, he argued, has simply introduced a transparent method to implement this recommendation, improving governance in the process.