Former Law Minister Veerappa Moily has called for the creation of a central statutory body or authority to oversee 'lateral entry' recruitment into the higher ranks of the civil services, arguing the current approach cannot ensure selection of truly qualified individuals to top posts.
Lateral entry refers to recruitments from outside service cadres, such as the Indian Administrative Service, to fill mid and senior-level positions in central, or state, ministries.
Mr Moily had initially endorsed the concept during his chairmanship of the second Administrative Reforms Commission, which published a report in 2005 recommending lateral entry, but as the result of a structured process to ensure unbiased recruitment of 'people of expertise' into senior positions.
Speaking to NDTV Wednesday, amid a row between the opposition and the ruling BJP on this issue, Mr Moily said, "First of all, approach of this government is wrong. They entrusted this job to the UPSC (the Union Public Service Commission, a constitutional body that conducts exams for appointment of junior government officers) ... but UPSC is only for entry-level recruitment."
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"That body is not competent for recruitment to senior posts (of Additional Secretary to the Government of India)," he explained, "They do not have the knowledge to recruit at higher level. There should be a competent body, constituted under an Act of Parliament, to do this."
"This is where we object..." he said, referring to protests mounted by the Congress and other opposition parties to a notice by the UPSC seeking "talented and motivated Indian nationals" to apply to fill 45 posts, including Joint Secretary, across 24 ministries and departments.
"First create a Civil Services Authority to do this," he said, declaring, "If UPSC was allowed to recruit like this then even Dr Manmohan Singh (who was a lateral entry hire into the bureaucracy) will never appear (for an interview) before that body."
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"As far as lateral entry is concerned... it was not that it was not in practice earlier," he continued, responding to jabs by the BJP the concept had existed since the Congress-led UPA government.
On Monday the government withdrew an ad for lateral entry into the civil services.
READ | Centre Drops Lateral Entry Plan Amid Ally, Opposition Pressure
The about-turn followed fierce protests by the opposition and in the face of doubts from an ally - Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes the move should be "aligned with social justice", the government told the UPSC.
READ | "No Ifs And Buts...": BJP Ally Chirag Paswan On Lateral Entry Row
The ad also invited fierce protests from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who denounced it as "an attack on Dalits", arguing recruitment on this line would run counter to reservations in government jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
"Right from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh... this was practiced. No one is opposed to it in spirit... but there are concerns that require it to be carried out very cautiously," he explained, pointing to recruitment at leadership levels.
Referring also to the criticism by Mr Gandhi, Mr Moily said, "We (the Congress) are only surprised the procedure was hastened", and underlined parts of the protocol, including submitting personnel reports to either by Parliament or a state Assembly, depending on the government doing the hiring.
READ | In Lateral Entry Row, Rahul Gandhi Renews "Attack On Dalits..." Criticism
"The other question is... so many posts are advertised but with no scope for internal applications. This will demoralise the cadre. You cannot allow that to happen."
Mr Moily also lamented a "mindset" problem in the current government, stressing, "People in authority should not have the impression that SC, ST, or OBC candidates 'second-rate' citizens and are not competent or intelligent. In the Puranas the Saptarishis (the seven sages of ancient India) belonged to SC and OBCs... this is the tradition of India."
"Expose them to opportunities and challenges... and they will compete with anybody in the world and not just in India."
