PMO asks DoPT to prepare outlines for lateral entry into civil services. (IE)

Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT ) has been asked to prepare a proposition on lateral entries into civil services that deal with economy and infrastructure. As per Indian Express sources said that the instructions have come from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)to prepare a broad outline of modalities for selecting private sector executives for appointment in the ranks of deputy secretary, director, and joint secretary. The sources added the decision was taken in response to a central government staffing policy paper. In the papers, DoPT had indicated a lack of officers at the middle management level.

According to sources, the selection of private individuals or social workers would be through a matrix of experience and qualification. The existing salary of the candidate would not be taken into account. A committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary would be responsible for the final selection. The starting estimate was of around 40 individuals comprising of successful, entrepreneurs, academicians and social workers, would be taken in through lateral entry, mainly at the joint-secretary level where there is a dearth of officers.

According to IE, another official said that the appointments would not be for ministries like Home, Defence, Personnel or even Corporate Affairs.

Meanwhile, earlier last year in August, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh in directed Lok Sabha that there was no plan to constitute a committee to study the viability of lateral entry as such issues required political consensus.