What is Lateral entry in UPSC

 Lateral entry in UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) refers to the recruitment of candidates directly into various government departments and ministries at the middle management level, bypassing the traditional entry-level recruitment process. This means that candidates are selected for positions at the level of Deputy Secretary, Director, or equivalent, without having to start at the entry-level positions like Assistant or Junior Officer.

Lateral entry is aimed at attracting talented and experienced professionals from various fields, including academia, research, private sector, and civil society, to join the government and contribute to policy-making and implementation. This approach helps bring in fresh perspectives, expertise, and innovative ideas, enriching the government's decision-making process.

The lateral entry process typically involves:

- Advertisement of vacancies

- Online applications

- Shortlisting based on qualifications and experience

- Interviews

- Selection and appointment 

Eligibility criteria and qualifications vary depending on the position, but generally, candidates should have:

- A graduate degree or higher qualification

- Relevant work experience (usually 5-10 years)

- Demonstrated expertise in their field

Some benefits of lateral entry include:

- Attracting top talent from diverse backgrounds

- Filling skills gaps in government departments

- Promoting competition and innovation

- Enhancing the government's capacity to deliver

However, lateral entry also raises concerns about:

- Bypassing traditional promotion channels

- Potential disruption to the career progression of existing government employees

- Ensuring fairness and transparency in the selection process

Views on the positive side-

According to me this is a great way to provide specialized expertise in specific field, professionals from diverse fields like technology, economics, health, and infrastructure bring specialized knowledge that traditional civil servants might lack. This is critical for addressing complex and technical challenges in policymaking and administration.

For eg, Montek Singh Ahluwalia in the planning commision!

In his career he worked greatly in the feild of economy ,done study from oxford and worked at world bank too, he had given his majority of life in field of economy.

So he had expertise in Economics, which is utilised in the lateral entry and he became the civil servant and then carried into rank of cabinet Minister.

Lateral entry in UPSC is through interview and lasts for a minimum of 3 years and maximum for 5 years. So those candidates are experienced in their field and can take correct decision on their level. And it is also confirmed through interview so we can say that the candidate who has taken lateral entry is capable of taking the right decision.

Views on negative side-

According to me, the idea holds great promise, its implementation presents significant challenges that could hinder its effectiveness in achieving the intended goals.

1)Integration with Bureaucracy

    Lateral entrants might struggle to adapt to the rigid and hierarchical structure of the Indian bureaucracy.

    Existing civil servants may resist cooperation, seeing lateral entrants as outsiders or competitors, which could hinder teamwork and efficiency.

2)Transparency in Selection Process

    Concerns about favoritism or lack of meritocracy can arise if the selection process is not transparent and rigorous.

    The absence of a well-defined mechanism to ensure impartiality may undermine the credibility of such appointments.

3) To run a district and become a bureaucrat, one must have knowledge of everything and lateral entry only admits people who are specialists in one field, like an economist or an economic expert He will be good only in the field of economics but there is no assurance that he will be good in other fields too and a bureaucrat should be expert in all field too smoothly running a district.

Conclusion 

I believe that even though lateral entry is good in most of the cases and is a highly sought after process which should continue to exist but I think that surpassing the entire examination and merit based selection pattern that has been institutionalised since ages and has proved itself to be efficient is a matter of debate because such a shift where we drift away from this selection process might lead to discrepancies in several cases and may lead to a disruption in bureaucratic dynamics of Indian administration which in itself is a sensitive matter. 

So I believe that provisions for lateral entry should continue to exist on the terms that they are continuously refined and it is made sure that it is kept just while maintaining transparency at all costs.

The lateral entry in UPSC opens up the avenue for experts and professionals from outside government (such as, private sector specialists, academics or even retired officers) to directly get inducted in senior levels of civil services. The idea is to inject new perspectives and expertise into public service without having to take the traditional UPSC exam for those positions. It selects candidates based on qualifications and experience, not an exam..

Acc to my perspective in an way its right because the professionals and officers who was giving service from a long time with honesty.