New Delhi: Union minister Satyapal Singh on Monday pitched for extension of lateral entry scheme in various ministries at the rank of Joint Secretaries to government-run educational institutions and said the issue should not be politicised. The minister for state for human resource development said the scheme would improve the efficiency of institutions.
“The ongoing thinking of lateral entry in various ministries at the rank of Joint Secretaries should be extended to even educational institutions as it would amount to acceleration of quality and speed including transparency in quicker dispensation of public policies and that the matter ought not to be politicized by vested interests,” Mr Singh said at an event.
The government has opened up senior-level bureaucratic posts in several departments to people, even from the private sector, who are “talented and motivated”, and willing to contribute towards nation building. Advertisements in this regard were published in newspapers. However, the Congress and other opposition parties have questioned the move, alleging that it was aimed at getting those associated with the BJP into administrative ranks.
Speaking at the event, the Minister also expressed confidence that the “discrimination” between public and private academic institutions would gradually come to an end since the matter is under serious consideration at the highest level. “I can tell you today that discrimination between public and private academic institutions will gradually come to an end since the matter is under serious consideration at the highest level. I have raised the issue with the President as well as the Prime Minister. That is the priority and significance that this government attached to the matter,” the minister said. Mr Singh stated that in a bid to further cement industry-academia interface, new curriculum is being designed for engineering and other professional and vocational students from next academic year with particular emphasis on polytechnic institutions.
Laying emphasis on the need to bring in changes in the syllabus of the educational institutions to generate jobs, he said that the government was taking various steps to improve the curriculum to meet the industry requirements.
