The Union Public Service Commission has remained in news this year for one or the other reason. Be it the controversy which erupted over the capabilities of many officers selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on social media or the case of becoming IAS officer by hoodwinking norms and using of fake certificates. In wake of the same UPSC Chairman Dr Manoj Soni also resigned before the end of his tenure.
However, now the same UPSC has issued an advertisement to make direct recruitments on the post of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary (Group A) in 24 Central ministries without passing the toughest examination of the country. The applications invited for the Joint Secretary positions include, two posts in the Finance Ministry, one post each in the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, etc.
Similarly, the applications invited for Director/Deputy Secretary positions include eight posts in the Agriculture ministry, two posts in the Education ministry and one post each in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Civil Aviation ministry, among others
Lateral Recruitment Notification
The notification issued by the Commission for such appointment sans examinations has been named as Lateral Recruitment Notification. The lateral entry has paved way for working on posts earlier held by IAS officers. Those eligible include officers of any State/UT government who are already working at equivalent level in their cadre, with relevant experience, individuals working at comparable level in Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), Autonomous Bodies, Statutory Organizations, Universities and Recognized Research Institutes besides individuals working at comparable levels in Private Sector Companies, Consultancy Organizations, International/Multinational Organizations.
45 posts of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary on list
Through lateral recruitment, eligible candidates would be appointed on 10 posts of Joint Secretary besides 35 posts of Director and Deputy Secretary 24 Central ministries. UPSC has released the recruitment notification on its official website.
As per the notification a total of 45 posts of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary would be filled up through lateral recruitment or direct recruitment for which the applicants will not have to pass the UPSC exam. The job will be for a three-year contract which could be extended till five years, depending upon performance. Interested candidates can apply online through Commission’s website by September 17, 2024. The selected applicants would be positioned at headquarters of Central Ministries/Departments in Delhi.
Experience required
A minimum experience of 15 years is required for the post of Joint Secretary level. It is mandatory to have 10 years of job experience for the post of Director and seven years of job experience for the post of Deputy Secretary.
Age limit and Salary
Candidates applying for the post of Joint Secretary should be between 40 years and 55 years. According to the Seventh Pay Commission, they will be placed in Pay Level 14 i.e., they will get a monthly salary of Rs 2,70,000 including DA. As per the rules, travel allowance and house rent will also be given.
For the post of Director, candidates should be between 35 years and 45 years. They will be included in Pay Level 13 and would entitled for a salary of Rs 2,32,000 including DA.
Likewise age limit for the post of Deputy Secretary is 32 years and 40 years. Officers on the said post would be entitled to Pay Level 12 and would receive a monthly salary of Rs 1,52,000 including DA.
After UPSC publishing the advertisement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote in Hindi on X “under a well-planned conspiracy, the BJP is deliberately making such recruitments in jobs so that SC, ST, OBC classes can be kept away from reservation.”
Asking if there was any reservation for the SC, ST, OBC and EWS reservation in these posts, he wrote, “BJP has ripped apart the Constitution and launched a double attack on reservation”, and claimed that the “reservation scam” in the appointment of assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh has now been exposed by a decision of HC.
He was referring to the Allahabad High Court order directing that a revised list of 69,000 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh selected through the Assistant Teachers Recruitment Examination (ATRE) 2019 be prepared, rectifying the irregularities committed in fixing the quota for their appointment.
The court has set aside the selection lists issued in June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates.
The lateral recruitment — referred to as appointment of private sector specialists in government departments — began in 2018 after NITI Aayog and the Sectoral Group of Secretaries on Governance recommended it in its report in 2017.
