NEW DELHI: The Modi government on Saturday gave its largest push for lateral entry into senior Central government positions across ministries by advertising vacancies for 45 key posts — 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors/deputy secretaries.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on placed the advertisement for the posts. All of them will be on contract basis. Candidates have to apply online, the advert said.
Through lateral entry, the government aims to bring fresh perspectives into governance.
It was in 2018 that the Modi government opened the lateral entry door and filled over 35 posts in various ministries that otherwise would have gone to IAS, IPS, IFoS, and Group A service officers.
The contract will be valid for three years, which could be extended to five years depending on performance. The lateral hires come with special skillsets from the private sector.
The last date to submit application forms is September 17 through the UPSC’s website.
About 10 lateral hires will be placed as joint secretaries in Home, Finance and Steel ministries, and 35 others will be selected for director/deputy secretary roles in Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Civil Aviation, and Information & Broadcasting.
The eligibility criteria will vary according to the role, and the salary competitive. Gender balance will be kept in mind during the recruitment drive. Officers hired through lateral level play an important role in policy-making.
As per official data, 63 appointments have been made so far through lateral entry, out of which 35 were from the private sector. At present, 57 such officers are in various positions in ministries/departments.
Candidates in the age group of 40-45 years can apply for the joint secretary’s role. Selected candidates would get around Rs 2.7 lakh as gross salary, including dearness, transport and house rent allowances.
For director level posts, candidates in the 35-45 years age group are eligible.