PM Modi reflected commitment towards Babasaheb's Constitution: Ashiwini Vaishnaw after Centre cancels UPSC advertisement

New Delhi [India], August 20 : After the Centre asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the latest advertisement for lateral entry into the bureaucracy, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reflected the commitment towards Babasaheb's Constitution through a very important decision.
The Union Minister said that PM Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice.
"Today, PM Modi has reflected the commitment towards Babasaheb's Constitution through a very important decision. A decision has been taken to implement principles of reservation in the very transparent method of lateral entry in UPSC. PM Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice," he said.
"During the UPA government, principles of reservation were not taken into consideration...Did Congress keep the principle in mind at that time? They should answer that. To bring lateral entry through UPSC was a method to bring transparency by PM Modi. And now by bringing the reservation principle in it reflects his commitment towards social justice and the constitution," the Union Minister added.
Meanwhile, the Congress has claimed a victory for opposing the scheme after the Union Government decided to cancel the advertisement by the UPSC that had called for lateral entry jobs in mid-level posts.
In a post on X, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, "We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil conspiracies like BJP's 'lateral entry' at any cost. I am saying it again - by breaking the 50% reservation limit, we will ensure social justice based on the caste census. Jai Hind."
The reactions follow the Department of Personnel and Training Minister, Jitendra Singh writing to the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission today to cancel the advertisement related to several lateral entry posts at various levels in the central government as per directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Under earlier governments, posts as important as that of the Secretary in various ministries, leadership of UIDAI, etc., have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations. Further, it is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister's Office," the Minister's letter added.
"While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our Government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open," the letter said.
"Further, the Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity," the letter stated.
"It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services. Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister's focus on ensuring social justice," it further added.
"Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17, 2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment," the letter said.
Earlier, several opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav, MK Stalin and Sitaram Yechury had opposed the government's move of lateral entry.
The UPSC recently released a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. This decision ignited criticism from opposition parties, who claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs.