Government Scraps UPSC Lateral Entry Roles Amidst Opposition Cheers

The Union Government canceled UPSC's lateral entry advertisement after strong opposition from Congress and other parties. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Manickam Tagore hailed the move as a victory for social justice and reservation systems. The decision aims to align lateral entries with constitutional equity and inclusivity principles.

New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI); Following the Union Government's decision to cancel the advertisement by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seeking lateral entry jobs in mid-level Central Government posts, opposition leaders are celebrating the move. Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi noted in a post on X, 'We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil conspiracies like BJP's 'lateral entry' at any cost. By breaking the 50% reservation limit, we will ensure social justice based on the caste census. Jai Hind.'

Senior Congress MP Manickam Tagore added, '2024 has given us two outcomes: a weak Prime Minister and a strong People's Leader of the Opposition. In the end, it's a victory for our Constitution. Jai Hind Jai Constitution.' Their statements came after Department of Personnel and Training Minister Jitendra Singh wrote to the Chairman of UPSC today to rescind the lateral entry advertisement as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Minister's letter stated that, 'Posts such as Secretary in various ministries and leadership roles in UIDAI have been filled by lateral entrants without a reservation process under previous governments. Our Government aims to make this process transparent and open. However, it must align with our Constitution's principles of equity and social justice.' This cancellation marks a significant step toward social justice and empowerment, following widespread opposition from parties including RJD and some within the NDA, who argued it undermined the reservation rights of marginalized communities.

(With inputs from agencies.)