Dilli Ka Babu: Lateral entry now a reality

Lateral entry in the civil service is now a reality. Although it has been an idea nursed by many Prime Ministers since the times of Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first to formalise the induction of domain experts as joint secretaries. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently issued appointment letters to 10 Indians who will be the first batch of lateral entry officers. After their induction, the Modi government is now ready to induct another 55 officers at the joint secretary (JS) and higher levels. The word is that the government is keen to fill 40 per cent of JS-level openings with outsiders.

The only change is that this task will not be performed by the UPSC and instead will be processed through the Niti Aayog. The new posts will be at par with government servants. The government plans to advertise for the direct recruitment of more than four dozen positions in the Niti Aayog at different levels, including directors, joint secretaries and even at the level of additional secretaries, etc.

They will have a fixed salary of over Rs 3 lakhs and a minimum five-year tenure, sources add. After the initial five-year period, their work will be assessed, and if found satisfactory, the officials will be given a further appointment of three years.

Apparently, the proposed advertisement for these posts is being drawn up by the department of personnel and training (DoPT) under the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Modi reportedly wants to have the system in place from 2020 onwards.

Disinvestment and its discontents
Before the Modi sarkar can go ahead with its ambitious plan to monetise assets of Central public sector enterprises, it has run into a bureaucratic roadblock. The Niti Aayog, the government’s prime thinktank, which has been tasked with recommending the assets for monetisation, prepared a list of more than 50 such assets, including land and industrial plants of State-owned enterprises that can be put on the block. The list was drawn up by Niti Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant.

However, it seems that the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM) has raised objections to the list prepared by the Niti Aayog. Sources say that the department, which is a wing of the finance ministry dealing with disinvestment, claims that the Niti Aayog did not consult with the administrative ministries and other departments before finalising its list.

DIPAM, under the watch of secretary Atanu Chakraborty, has written to the Niti Aayog stating that the thinktank should have followed the procedure laid down for asset monetisation and not jumped the gun. As per the procedures, the thinktank is meant to make its recommendations after consultations with a group comprising representatives of the administrative ministry, DIPAM, the department of economic affairs and the department of public enterprises.

Does this have a faint ring of the beginning of a turf war?

Defence secretary gets extension
Along with Cabinet secretary P.K. Sinha, the Modi government, on its return for its second term, gave a last-minute extension to defence secretary Sanjay Mitra, who was all set to retire on May 31. Apparently, the decision to extend Mr Mitra’s tenure by three months came out of the blue, barely hours before the retiring babu was to be feted at a farewell party arranged by his ministerial colleagues.

Those who claim to read the tea leaves believe that with two newcomers — Union minister Rajnath Singh and minister of state Shripad Yesso Naik — at the ministry of defence, the government wishes to ensure continuity in the ministry as well as allow the new ministers time to settle in and become conversant with their respective tasks.