Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has targeted the BJP-led government over the issue of lateral entry, questioning the government's approach to recruitment into senior positions and alleging that the process could be used to accommodate people with ideological affiliations.
In a sharp political remark, Yadav questioned why the government should not rename the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as “OPSC”, using the phrase as a political jibe at what he described as the government's approach to recruitment.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the BJP-led government over lateral entry. He questioned the government's approach to UPSC-linked recruitment.
Yadav alleged that ideological associates could be accommodated through the process.
He described lateral entry as another form of outsourcing. Opposition parties have previously raised concerns about reservation in lateral-entry appointments.
The 2024 UPSC advertisement for 45 lateral-entry posts was subsequently withdrawn.
He alleged that in the name of lateral entry, the BJP and its ideological associates were attempting to place people of their choice into government positions through what he described as a “backdoor” route.
Yadav further described the process as another form of outsourcing, alleging that it was being presented under a different name.His remarks add to the opposition's long-standing criticism of lateral entry into the higher bureaucracy.
The issue has previously triggered a major political debate after the UPSC issued an advertisement for 45 posts at the levels of joint secretary, director and deputy secretary through lateral entry in 2024. Opposition parties had raised concerns about the absence of reservation in the advertised positions.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Lateral entry sits at the intersection of administrative reform, expertise and social justice. Supporters argue that experienced professionals can bring specialised knowledge into government, while critics have questioned how such appointments should be regulated and how constitutional reservation requirements should apply. Akhilesh Yadav's latest remarks bring the issue back into the political spotlight and could trigger another round of debate between the government and opposition parties.
The controversy eventually led the government to ask the UPSC to withdraw the advertisement. The Department of Personnel and Training said the process needed to align with constitutional provisions concerning equality and social justice, including reservation in public employment.Akhilesh Yadav has previously criticised lateral entry on similar grounds. In 2024, he alleged that the BJP was attempting to bring people associated with its ideology into senior government positions through a “backdoor” route.
The latest remarks therefore revive the political debate around the role of lateral entry in India's civil services and whether such appointments should be subject to the same framework of reservation and transparency as conventional recruitment.
