What Is Lateral Entry Into Civil Services

Lateral entrance into the public sector has long been considered, and the Second ARC Report advocated codifying procedures. Although you might wonder why the Indian bureaucracy needs a rejuvenation? The idea that civil services in India need to be changed isn’t new. Critics have said that the services are corrupt, incompetent, and stuck in their ways. But first of all, let us discuss what is lateral entry into civil services?

What Is Lateral Entry Into Civil Services?

There was a thorough study conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to determine why the government needs to change how civil services work. Even at the middle levels, there are not enough officers. The committee found that there are 75 to 100 vacancies in big states like Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. The idea of lateral entry is put forward because there isn’t enough early large-scale recruitment.

People who have worked in the private sector before might think that lateral entry might increase efficiency and competency. Adding new people to a team and getting their ideas could be helpful. People with the appropriate set of skills and knowledge for the specific job will be hired through lateral entry. The current recruitment procedure is based on general knowledge and a basic understanding of everything, but not specialised skills.

There are a lot of companies that require officers with certain subject knowledge. This is because their jobs require expertise in that field. Civil Servants with a background in history might be placed as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, or someone from an economics background might be appointed as the director-general of the Archeological Survey of India. Hence, the right man isn’t in the right job. Lateral entry might be able to bring in the required expertise.

The Cons of Lateral Entry

• Even while the government routinely recruits professionals from the private sector to manage committees and initiatives, a transfer into the intermediate echelons of the bureaucracy will have a huge influence on the ratio of officers right now. 
• Officers who have previously studied hard and passed the difficult UPSC civil services test to get into the service may see a dip in morale due to this. 
• Lateral entry might result in nepotism and favouritism until and unless there are transparent mechanisms for hiring personnel. 
• People opposed to lateral entry claim that everyone’s finest talents come out in a supportive setting, not because of who they are. 
• With a lack of confidence in the government’s ability to provide growth opportunities and promotions, fewer people may seek employment in the civil services.
• In today’s increasingly complex administration, it’s critical to have a diverse set of talents. For instance, cybercrime is an increasing threat to the public. There is thus a need for hackers and software engineers who can do the technical aspect of the police work. Today’s administrative challenges need the assistance of specialists and experts.

First Administrative Reforms Commission Inputs

The first Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) set up in 1965 mentioned why specialisation was important. The 2nd ARC introduced in 2005 recommended an official, unambiguous process for lateral entry at the national and state levels. 

The First Administrative Reforms Commission inputs indicated a paradigm shift from a career-based approach to a post-based approach in senior positions. It highlighted that performance appraisals may be adopted from the armed forces, which could help in screening out non-performers. In the armed forces, only 3% of officers make it to the grade of brigadier and above as the promotions are based entirely on merit.

There is a contrast between delivering recommendations and engaging in decision-making when it comes to outsourcing, and this is what the contributions from the First Administrative Reforms Commission inputs are all about. Expert panels, consultations, think tank meetings, contributions from the First Administrative Reforms Commission inputs, and other sources of knowledge are accessible to practically every ministry, and they are utilised in almost every department.

Conclusion

According to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, there is a need for about 1,500 IAS officers. This gap can be bridged with lateral entry. It will help change the way the government bureaucrats think. People say that bureaucratic culture is to blame for the status quo, red tape, and following the rules to the letter. Lateral entry helps the government make the public sector work better and more efficiently. 

Lateral entry can have its benefits as long as there is proper consideration and planning into the hiring process and appropriate changes are made in the current bureaucracy.