Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding back execution of his much-vaunted lateral entry scheme has certainly not come as a surprise. After Lok Sabha electoral reverses, Modi had come to realise that it would not be possible to implement the scheme in the changed political situation, though on August 17 his government inserted an ad in the newspapers of opening for lateral entry. An insight into the development revealed that it was purely a trick to test the public mood and response of the corporate and big commercial houses.
Captains of the industry and corporate houses, just after peoples’ verdict was out on June 4, had come to realize that this scheme will fail. They are also sure that though Modi had cobbled up a coalition government, soon a new government with secular and liberal outlook would replace the capitalist friendly Modi government. Then in that situation, it may like to review and rescind Modi’s decision.
After announcement of vacancies for lateral entry, the INDIA bloc along with some BJP allies demanded withdrawal of the scheme as it would directly obliterate the provisions of job reservation, but the fact is at the stage of formulation of scheme, it has become explicit that it was against reservation, as its basic character was quite different from the regular job. The entrants would be from the corporate and big business houses, obviously their main mission was to serve and protect the economic interest of their masters. These entrants are to influence the government economic policies.
The manner in which finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided tax relief to the corporates and big business is testimony to it. There is no ambiguity that India is having a economic and political system in which the political and corporate elite cooperate for their mutual benefit. The political elite are supported by the economic elite to maintain their status, a mutual relationship that benefits both.
Two years back, senior BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy, a bête noire of Modi, had warned that Modi’s plan of lateral entry plan would make reservations irrelevant. He will not end the reservation, but install a system where it would turn irrelevant. He had said; “Hamari sarkaar aarakshan ko us star par pahuncha degi jahaan uska hona ya nahin hona barabar hoga (Our government will make reservation so irrelevant that it wouldn’t matter whether the quota system exists or not)”.
Swamy came out with the revelation when Modi during his second tenure had launched his plan of bringing experts from outside into the Indian bureaucracy through ‘lateral entry’.
Modi has been working on two plans. First, to make the bureaucracy dance to the tunes of the corporate houses and second, to prevent the boys and girls from the marginalised sections of the society to become a decision maker.
Lateral entry is in reality a tool to distance marginalised from centres of power. With the decline in the number of backward caste civil services officers, the government will not have to face the issue of reservation in jobs. The officers joining the ranks of civil services will not be guided by the principles of reservation.
This move of Modi has a cunning perspective. Emergence of new class of policy makers from the rank of deprived classes would challenge the political and social hegemony of the upper castes, who constitute the core of the saffron brigade. It would be easier for RSS to make its mission and philosophy take a formal shape and transform the bodypolitic of India.
One thing is also noticeable that for last ten years, the number of IAS aspirants from rich and upper caste has considerably declined. They are more and more joining the corporate sector or big business houses. Through the lateral entry route, they will come to control the bureaucracy and serve the interest of the corporate and big business in a more comprehensive and meaningful manner.
It is an open secret that lateral entry into bureaucracy refers to the process of hiring experts from the private sector, academia, or public sector undertakings (PSUs) for specific roles in the government. This is in contrast to the traditional method of filling these positions through internal promotions within the government or through the new recruits.
Modi has succeeded in turning a group of IAS officers subservient to him. This has been a matter of deep concern that these officers go to any extent to twist and mould the rules to serve their political master. There is no denying that the present PM has demolished bureaucracy’s control on governance, as is seen in the case of ruthless misuse of ED, CBI and IT against his political adversaries. Even IAS officers confess that a consistent attempt is being made to show IAS officers that they are no longer the big bosses. It is also a fact that ever since Modi came to power, he sought to reduce the empanelment and appointment of IAS officers.
Bureaucrats are usually blamed for encouraging red-tapism. The allegation is to some extent correct. But this is also the part of the system to check corruption and misuse of political power. Lateral entry is certainly not the panacea to the malaise. It is also alleged that the flaws in public administration are due to individual officers rather than system. Raising the issue of flaw is a clever move to give the civil services a bad name and malign it. An analysis of the functioning of the bureaucrats would unravel that politicians have forced them to become spineless and cowards.
Decline of PSUs is being cited as the example of waste of manpower and non-functional bureaucracy. It is a known fact politicians are treating the PSUs for mulching party coffers. The policies have been primarily responsible for their turning into white elephants. We have seen how the politicians forced the officers of steel plants across the country, Bokaro being the worst case, to recruit supporters of ruling parties, bereft of any technical expertise, in highly technical posts. (IPA Service)
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