Lok Sabha Question No. 2842 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-10
Subject: Overhauling the Bureaucracy
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2842

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.07.2019)

## OVERHAULING THE BUREAUCRACY

## †2842. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to overhaul the bureaucracy which is  pending for a while;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the lateral entry has taken place in the past also;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for making lateral entry at this level;
- (e) whether lateral  entry  at  senior  bureaucratic  level  is  likely  to  bring  down  the  morale  of civil servants;
- (f) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (g) whether the Government proposes to make recruitment in the Governmental educational institutions through lateral mode; and
- (h) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) & (b):   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 deadwood 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.

(c) to (f):  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,  Shri  Vijay  Kelkar,  Shri  Bimal  Jalan,  Shri Shankar  Acharya,  Shri  Rakesh  Mohan,  Shri  Arvind  Virmani,  Shri  Arvind  Panagariya,  Shri Arvind  Subramanian,  Shri  Vaidya  Rajesh  Kotecha,  Shri  Parameswaran  Iyer,  Shri  Ram  Vinay Shahi,  Shri  R.  Ramanan  and  Dr.  Sekhar  Bonu.  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.

(g)  & (h):    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.

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