Lok Sabha Question No. 108 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-25
Subject: Reforms in Bureaucracy
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed, PRASUN BANERJEE

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 108

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2018)

## REFORMS IN BUREAUCRACY

## *108. SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED: SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government plans to reform the bureaucracy which is long overdue and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether lateral entry in bureaucracy has taken place earlier also, if so, the details thereof and the reasons for lateral entry at this stage;
- (c) whether  the  move  of  the  Government  for  lateral  entry  into  senior  positions  will demoralise the civil servants, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to extend lateral entry in Government run educational institutions also and 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) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN THE REPLY TO THE PARTS (A) TO (D) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 108 FOR ANSWER ON 25.07.2018 RAISED BY SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED, MP AND SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE, MP REGARDING 'REFORMS IN BUREAUCRACY'.

(a):    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 time.

(b) & (c):   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 and Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Shri Parameswaran Iyer and Shri Ram Vinay  Shahi.  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.

(d):    The entry in Government run educational cadre at Asstt/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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