What is lateral entry?

• In a lateral entry to the civil services, persons are recruited from outside the usual bureaucratic setup for certain posts in government departments. 
• Lateral entry envisages the inclusion of domain experts or those with experience in policy-making and implementation from outside the civil services. 

Genesis of the lateral entry debate 

• The first Administrative Reforms Commission (set up in 1966), chaired by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, delved into the issue of lateral entry of subject-specific experts into the governance system.
• The Constitution Review Commission set up by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in its 2002 report supported the idea of lateral entry.
• The second ARC headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily (2005) recommended lateral entry for specialised jobs in government services. 
• The idea of lateral entry into senior bureaucracy is not new. In the past, well-known plant scientist M.S. Swaminathan; and renowned economists such as Manmohan Singh had served as Secretaries in GoI.
• However, such appointments were isolated cases of lateral entry of specialists with domain knowledge. 
• The system was formalised in 2018 with the lateral entry of 63 candidates in the top and middle-level positions.

Lateral entry in other countries 

• Several countries like the US, Belgium, the UK, Australia and New Zealand have institutionalised lateral entry as a permanent part of their system.

Why are lateral entries favoured? 

1. Lateral entry allows for the inclusion of professionals with specialized skills and expertise that may be lacking within the civil services. 
2. Bringing in individuals from outside the traditional bureaucracy introduces new ideas and approaches to problem-solving, reducing the risk of groupthink that can occur when the same set of officials handle policies for long periods.
3. As the needs of governance evolve with technological and global changes, lateral entry can help fill skill gaps in areas like digital governance, financial markets, international trade, and public health.
4. It can attract highly qualified professionals from the private sector or academia who could not join the bureaucracy through the traditional civil service examination route.
5. Lateral entry allows for the selection of candidates based on their specific skills and achievements, rather than their performance in a single competitive exam. This can lead to a more meritocratic system where positions are filled by the most qualified individuals.

Challenges

1. Lateral entrants might lack the administrative experience, understanding of governmental processes and ground realities that career bureaucrats have. 
2. Unlike regular civil servants with stringent accountability mechanisms, lateral entrants might not be subject to the same level of oversight and evaluation. This can raise concerns about transparency and accountability.
3. Further, there are concerns that it could lead to a ‘spoils system’ by inducting persons with the preferred ideology and loyalty to the government undermining the neutrality and impartiality of the civil services.
   1. The Spoils System, also called the Patronage System, is an arrangement that employed and promoted civil servants who were friends and supporters of the political party in power. The word ‘spoils’ means incidental, secondary benefits reaped by a winner. The Spoils System developed into the firing of political enemies and the hiring of political friends. 
4. The introduction of lateral entry could affect the morale of civil servants who have risen through the ranks and expect promotions based on merit and experience. 
5. Professionals entering laterally might focus on short-term gains or their specific area of expertise, potentially overlooking the broader, long-term objectives of governance. This could lead to fragmented policy implementation and a lack of a cohesive strategy.

Way Forward

• While lateral entry into the Indian bureaucracy has the potential to bring in much-needed expertise and innovation, it also poses challenges related to integration, accountability, and maintaining the meritocracy of the civil services.