Govt gives 2-yr extension to lateral entrant joint secretaries

The Centre has given a two-year extension to 'lateral entrants' who were inducted as joint secretaries in central government ministries in 2019, according to a source.

The government had advertised 10 vacancies for joint secretaries in different departments. However, only nine candidates were shortlisted from more than 6,000 applicants and eight joined as joint secretaries.

While Arun Goel, JS DPIIT, resigned after two years and returned to the private sector, Amber Dubey who joined the Civil Aviation Ministry has desired to return to the private sector after three years and therefore his case has not been considered.

Those who have given extensions as joint secretaries are Sujit Kumar Bajpayee (Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Saurabh Mishra (Ministry of Finance), Rajeev Saksena (Economic Affairs), Dinesh Dayanand Jagadale (New and Renewable Energy), Suman Prasad Singh (Road Transport and Highways) and Bhushan Kumar (Ministry of Shipping).

The eight joint secretaries from the private sector had been appointed in September 2019 for a period of three years.

The posts of joint secretaries are manned by officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS)) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) among others who are selected through a three-phased rigorous selection process undertaken by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension had invited applications for the posts of joint secretary-rank officers through ''lateral entry'' mode in June 2018.

The lateral entry mode, which relates to the appointment of specialists from the private sector in government organisations, is considered an ambitious step of the Modi government to bring fresh talent into the bureaucracy.