Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi for ‘anti-constitutional’ UPSC lateral entry

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (Aug 18) slammed the central government's move to bring specialists into top government positions through lateral entry.

Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bypassing the traditional Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruitment process and undermining the Constitution.

Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, also claimed that the Modi government was favouring individuals with connections to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the lateral entry system.

Modi attacking the Constitution: Rahul Gandhi

"Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through the 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh' (RSS) instead of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). By recruiting for important positions in various central government ministries through lateral entry, the reservation for SC, ST, and OBC categories is being openly undermined," Gandhi said.

"Reservation for SC, ST, and OBC categories is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government," he wrote in Hindi on X.

He added, "I have always said that there is no representation of the underprivileged in the top bureaucracy and other senior positions in the country. Instead of improving this representation, lateral entry is pushing them further away from these top positions."

"This is a direct assault on the rights of talented youth preparing for the UPSC and a blow to the concept of social justice and reservation for the underprivileged," he said.

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Gandhi also pointed to SEBI as an example, citing the appointment of Madhabi Puri Buch from the private sector as chairperson. "The glaring example of what corporate representatives might do in decisive government positions is SEBI, where for the first time, a person from the private sector was appointed as the Chairperson," he said.

Anti-national step

"This anti-national step, which harms both the administrative structure and social justice, will be strongly opposed by the INDIA bloc. 'Privatization of IAS' is Modi's 'guarantee' to end reservation," he added.

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Gandhi's statement came after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced 45 vacancies on Saturday, 10 for joint secretaries and 35 for directors/deputy secretaries, to be filled through lateral entry on a contract basis. An official described this as the largest round of lateral recruitment undertaken by the central government.

Traditionally, these positions are filled by officers from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

However, the government, through the UPSC, is now filling these roles on a contractual basis, arguing that this will bring in fresh talent and specialised expertise to enhance governance.

(With inputs from agencies)