Lateral entry into civil services is seen as a reformative step, yet it continues to attract criticism and controversy. Discuss.

Lateral entry is the recruitment of expertise of domain knowledge with civil services at secretary (additional secretary) level. Lateral entry: Reformative step (1) Promotes competition among bureaucrats (Subramanian Committee) (2) Improves efficiency of civil services with better talent (3) Remain expertise helps better insights and outcomes in projects by nuclear scientists at nuclear projects helps better idea (4) Widens the talent pool in civil services promote innovation by TCS & Incedhyaran, Raghunam Raju (5) It helps fill vacancies of the civil services is better functioning

Lateral entry: Criticism and controversy (1) No mention about reservations for SC/ST OBC so cannot reserve 1 position only there (2) Makes bureaucrats demonstrated and leads to their non-performance (3) Lack of ground realities due to no field world (4) Non-accountability of lateral entry members as only for short time (5) Short turn recruitment, so non-responsibility over long term impacts (6) Private sector entrants, so only sees profits bet of public welfare approach Way Forward (1) Civil servants need - mid career training Clearing, domain learning & onsite learning (LSST knowledge) (2) Lateral entrants used as expert guidance in committee rather than challenging civil servants Collaboration between lateral entry members and civil servants needed