Union minister Jitendra Singh on March 22 said the Centre has streamlined the lateral entry appointments to induct the best of the best talent for a task, coupled with expertise. Lateral entry is referred to the appointments of private sector specialists in the government.
Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, recalled that lateral appointments were made even by the earlier governments and some of the most famous lateral appointments include that of the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as chief economic advisor in 1972.
However, the Narendra Modi government has sought to institutionalise the process by routing it through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and fixing a criterion for selection which is objective, transparent and purely merit cum experience based, he said.
Interacting with the 30 lateral entrants into the government of India at the level of joint secretary/director and deputy secretary during their 15-day induction programme at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), here, the minister said the ultimate goal of the lateral entry mechanism is to select best of the best from a wider pool of choice as various flagship schemes started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi require new skill set and expertise.
He noted that this is happening at a crucial time when Prime Minister Modi is leading India to be a frontline nation in the world.
Singh, who is also the Chairman of IIPA Executive Council, suggested to the inductees that accountability, transparency and citizen-centric approach should be the hallmark of their stint with the Government of India.
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The Union minister opined that the gap between the corporate and the government sector is narrowing rapidly and that enhanced skills are needed in new work approach system of today.
Singh said that since India's stature in the world is on a rise, the entrants can make best use of this great opportunity to contribute to the nation building.
He said the efforts of today can make India a world leader in next 25 years, when the country celebrates 100 years of its Independence. The 30 lateral entrants include three joint secretaries, 18 directors and nine deputy secretaries, representing 21 ministries/departments of the Government of India.
