PARLIAMENT QUESTION: POSTS FILLED THROUGH LATERAL ENTRY

• Lateral entry = induction of domain specialists from private sector, PSUs, academia, state/UT govts and autonomous bodies directly into middle/senior management posts of Government of India (Joint Secretary / Director / Deputy Secretary) on contract or deputation basis, bypassing the conventional UPSC Civil Services Examination route.
• Cumulatively 63 lateral-entry appointments at JS/Director/DS level have been made since 2018 as reported on 18 March 2026 by MoS (PP) Jitendra Singh in Parliament.
• Relevant for GS-II (governance, civil-services reforms, recruitment) and prelims static (UPSC functions, DoPT, reservation jurisprudence).