Transformed Title: Dilip Cherian's Assessment: Lateral Entry - A Reform Misunderstood

For the participants who successfully joined, the event fell short of expectations. The specialists, brought in for their specific expertise, found themselves bogged down in a maze of documentation and formalities, their skills largely untapped.

, and Administrator

2025 September 14 . 8:34 PM

2 min read

Transformed Title: Dilip Cherian's Lateral Entry: A Reform Miscommunicated

Transformed Title: Dilip Cherian's Assessment: Lateral Entry - A Reform Misunderstood

The Modi Sarkar's ambitious lateral entry scheme, introduced in 2018 with the aim of bringing fresh ideas and outside expertise into Indian governance, has found itself in a state of limbo. Instead of being hailed as a revolution, it has become more of a footnote in babu chatter.

The government defined lateral entry posts as "single-post cadres," thereby placing them outside the ambit of constitutional quotas. This move invited criticism for bypassing affirmative action. Politically, avoiding affirmative action was never going to fly, and last year, the government withdrew advertisements for 45 posts, claiming it was all part of a grand re-think.

Rather than attracting the best of India's boardrooms, applications have disproportionately come from PSU mid-managers keen to stay in Delhi. The salary structure pegged to government scales is far below what senior private sector leaders command, which may explain the lack of interest.

In contrast, the lateral entry scheme has seen a crusader in Sanjiv Chaturvedi, the chief conservator of forests in Uttarakhand. He has a history of exposing corruption, including in the AIIMS and Haryana forest department. His latest target is the Munsiyari eco-tourism project, where he has called out wrongdoing, including rule-bending, approval bypassing, and public revenue siphoning.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi's actions in Munsiyari would likely have been buried without his doggedness. His report led to the Centre ordering the state forest department to prosecute those responsible. However, he has faced transfers, inquiries, and isolation for his anti-corruption efforts.

Meanwhile, Urjit Patel, the former Reserve Bank governor who walked away mid-term in 2018, is now India's man at the International Monetary Fund. His resignation was a significant event, as it was the first time in decades that a sitting RBI Governor quit abruptly. His appointment to the IMF offers both gravitas and a familiar technocratic face in global forums.

However, the government has yet to create a distinct lateral track with clear mandates, competitive pay, and built-in accountability for the lateral entry scheme. The lack of such structures may be a reason why the scheme has not been as successful as intended. Moreover, experts hired for their domain knowledge found themselves lost in the labyrinth of file notings and procedural niceties, their skills underused.

Innovation can't flourish when you're reduced to navigating the same bureaucratic sludge as career civil servants. The lateral entry scheme, if properly implemented, could bring much-needed change. But until then, it remains a footnote in the annals of Indian governance.

Despite the challenges faced by the lateral entry scheme, the efforts of individuals like Sanjiv Chaturvedi serve as a reminder of the importance of fighting corruption and upholding integrity in public life. His dogged pursuit of truth and justice, in the face of adversity, is a beacon of hope for those who believe in a clean and efficient Indian bureaucracy.