By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 10, 2019: In keeping with the principle of ‘Reform, Perform and Transform', the Government has taken several measures to reform bureaucracy. Issue of provisional appointment orders on receipt of duly filled attestation form and self declaration by candidates pending police verification of character and antecedents, streamlining the system of posting at senior levels with due regard to integrity and merit, strengthening performance appraisal system of civil servants, strengthening of vigilance system, amendment of All India Services (Disciplinary and Appeal) Rules to provide for specific ‘timeline' for completing enquiry against officers of All India Service (AIS) in a time bound manner and adequate safeguard against arbitrary suspension of All India Service (AIS) officers, discontinuation of interviews for lower level posts, removing dead-wood from bureaucracy (i.e. those found ineffective and non-performing are to be compulsorily retired), are some of the reforms made in the recent past.

Some prominent persons have been appointed earlier also on lateral entry basis to man specific assignments from time to time. This includes among others, appointment of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Mr Vijay Kelkar, MrBimalJalan, Mr Shankar Acharya, Mr Rakesh Mohan, Mr ArvindVirmani, Mr ArvindPanagariya, Mr Arvind Subramanian, Mr Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Mr ParameswaranIyer, Mr Ram VinayShahi, Mr R. Ramanan and Dr. SekharBonu. No adverse effect on the morale of the civil servants has resulted from lateral recruitments.

NITI Ayog in its three year Action Agenda 2017-18 to 2019-20 has also highlighted that it is essential that specialists be inducted in to the system through lateral entry on fixed term contract. The Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) submitted a report in February, 2017 in which it has inter alia been observed that there is shortage of officers at the Joint Secretary/Director/Deputy Secretary Level, due to reduction in recruitment in the Service during 1995-2002. Based on the recommendation of SGoS, Government has decided to undertake lateral recruitment of ten Joint Secretaries on contract basis in order to achieve the twin objectives of bringing in fresh talent as well as augment the availability of manpower.

The entry in Government run educational cadre at Assistant/Associate/Professor is open to all individuals who are fulfilling the required eligibility criteria independent of whether the person is currently within the educational institution or not.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.