NEW DELHI: Hours after the Central Government directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the recent advertisement for lateral entry posts, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, took to X (formerly Twitter) to support the move as a step towards social justice. However, Vaishnaw’s remarks have sparked controversy, given his earlier comments on the same issue just days before.
In a post on X, Vaishnaw wrote, “Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji has always firmly believed in social justice. His programmes have advanced the welfare of the weakest sections of our society. The decision to align lateral entry with principles of reservation shows PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s commitment to social justice.”
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This statement echoes the sentiments expressed in the letter from Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the Department of Personnel and Training, to the UPSC Chairperson. In his letter, Singh emphasized the Prime Minister’s belief that the lateral entry process “must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation.” He further urged the UPSC to cancel the advertisement, highlighting that reservation in public employment is “a cornerstone of our social justice framework.”
Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji has always firmly believed in social justice. His programmes have advanced welfare of the weakest sections of our society.
The decision to align lateral entry with principles of reservation shows PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s commitment to social…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 20, 2024
However, what has drawn significant attention is the stark contrast between Vaishnaw’s recent post and his earlier statement on August 18, when the UPSC initially issued the lateral entry advertisement. At that time, Vaishnaw criticized the Indian National Congress (INC) for its alleged hypocrisy on the issue. He tweeted, “INC hypocrisy is evident on the lateral entry matter. It was the UPA government which developed the concept of lateral entry. The second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was established in 2005 under the UPA government, chaired by Shri Veerappa Moily. UPA-period ARC recommended the recruitment of experts to fill the gaps in roles that require specialized knowledge. The NDA government has created a transparent method to implement this recommendation. Recruitment will be done through UPSC transparently and fairly. This reform will improve governance.”
Lateral entry
INC hypocrisy is evident on lateral entry matter. It was the UPA government which developed the concept of lateral entry.
The second Admin Reforms Commission (ARC) was established in 2005 under UPA government. Shri Veerappa Moily chaired it.
UPA period ARC…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 18, 2024
The contradiction between Vaishnaw’s two statements has not gone unnoticed by netizens. On one hand, he endorsed the UPSC’s transparent recruitment process for lateral entry as governance reform, while on the other, he supported the cancellation of the same process, framing it as a step toward social justice.