PARLIAMENT QUESTION: LATERAL ENTRY

• Lateral entry = direct induction of domain experts from private sector, PSUs, academia, state cadres into senior posts of Central Secretariat (Joint Secretary, Director, Deputy Secretary) on contract/deputation basis, bypassing the traditional UPSC Civil Services Examination route.
• Administered by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) under Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions; recruitment routed through UPSC since 2018.
• Examinable for GS-II (Governance, Civil Services reform) and ethics/administration questions; recurrently in news due to reservation controversy (Aug 2024) and Parliament Questions (Feb 2026).