यूपीएससी नौकरी विज्ञापन के बाद राहुल गांधी ने सेबी विवाद को मोदी सरकार के लेटरल एंट्री पुश से जोड़ा: 'आरएसएस के माध्यम से भर्ती'

Rahul Gandhi links SEBI row to Modi govt's lateral entry push after UPSC job ad: ‘Recruitment via RSS’

On Saturday, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the availability of 45 positions through lateral entry, including 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors or deputy secretaries. This move by the central government to recruit specialists into high-ranking government roles has sparked controversy, particularly from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. On Sunday, Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly bypassing the traditional recruitment process managed by UPSC. According to Gandhi, this lateral entry initiative undermines the Constitution by sidestepping established norms, and he accused the Modi government of favoring individuals associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Gandhi’s concerns stem from the belief that lateral entry could undermine the reservation system in India, which aims to ensure representation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in government positions. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi wrote in Hindi, expressing his apprehension that the move to recruit specialists via lateral entry would erode the opportunities reserved for SC, ST, and OBC communities in central government ministries. He argued that this new policy would further marginalize underprivileged groups, who are already underrepresented in top bureaucratic positions. According to Gandhi, this system deprives talented youth preparing for civil services exams of their rightful opportunities.

The controversy escalated when the government defended its decision by stating that the UPSC's advertisement for these posts is meant to bring fresh talent and specialized knowledge into governance. These positions have traditionally been filled by officers from prestigious services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). However, the current administration argues that the inclusion of specialists from outside these services, on a contractual basis, is essential for modern governance.

In his critique, Gandhi linked the lateral entry system to the ongoing controversy involving the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He highlighted the recent appointment of Madhabi Puri Buch, the first private sector individual to become SEBI's chairperson, as an example of the potential consequences of bringing corporate representatives into key government roles. Buch has been embroiled in allegations of conflicts of interest following a report by U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, which has raised questions about the integrity of such appointments.

The Congress party, under the leadership of its president Mallikarjun Kharge, has echoed Gandhi's concerns. Kharge described the lateral entry initiative as a "deliberate attempt" by the Modi government to sideline SC, ST, and OBC communities from critical government roles. In a separate post on X, Kharge accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a "double attack on reservation." He argued that the recruitment process is intentionally designed to exclude marginalized communities from accessing these high-ranking positions, thereby weakening the social justice framework that the reservation system is meant to uphold.

Gandhi’s statement and Kharge’s comments highlight the broader opposition to the Modi government’s lateral entry policy within the Congress party. They argue that this policy not only undermines the traditional recruitment process but also threatens the principles of social justice enshrined in the Indian Constitution. As the debate continues, the implications of this policy for India's civil services and the reservation system remain a contentious issue.

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