NEW DELHI: The government has asked candidates who have applied for lateral recruitment as joint secretaries in 10 government departments, to submit additional details of their qualifications and experience to facilitate UPSC in their selection process.UPSC, based on the additional information to be submitted, will adopt shortlisting criteria to restrict the number of candidates to be called for test/interview “to a reasonable number”, the DoPT said in a notice issued on Tuesday. “The essential qualifications indicated in the original advertisement are the minimum and mere possession of the same does not entitle candidates to be called for test/ interview. As the number of applications is large, the commission may adopt suitable short listing criteria to restrict the number of candidates to be called for test/interview by ... defining the comparable level of experience suitably, on the basis of any specific experience or higher experience in the relevant field than the minimum prescribed in the advertisement, on the basis of higher/relevant educational qualifications than the minimum prescribed in the advertisement, (or) by holding a recruitment test,” said the DoPT.Over 6,000 candidates have applied for the lateral recruitment exercise for joint-secretary level posts in the departments of revenue, economic affairs, commerce, financial services , agriculture cooperation & farmer’s welfare and ministries of road transport and highways, shipping; environment, forest & climate change , new and renewable energy; and civil aviation. Although the government had initially advertised for the lateral recruitment on contract basis, the selection process was later entrusted to UPSC. All candidates have been asked to file the additional information online by 6 pm on January 1, 2019.“The task of selection of suitable candidates from amongst those who have already applied in response to the same has now been entrusted to the Union Public Service Commission by the competent authority on October 29, 2018. All candidates who have already submitted the application to DOPT are hereby instructed to fill up a Detailed Application Form (DAF) which seeks to obtain additional specific information of the candidates regarding qualifications and experience so as to facilitate the selection process. A mail is also being issued separately to each of the candidates who have applied, through their registered e-mail ID,” stated the notice.