Government Opened Lateral Entry for Joint Secretary Post – UPSC IAS exam Not Mandatory

UPSC IAS exam is not mandatory for appointment of Joint Secretary. The Government has opened lateral entry scheme for private professionals.

13 June 2018: The Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has opened lateral entry scheme for the appointment at the post of Joint Secretaries. This was done in order to incorporate the expertise of private sector professionals into government machinery.

Generally, senior bureaucrats (senior IAS officers) are appointed as Joint Secretaries in various government departments. Now, with the lateral entry scheme, professionals from private sectors can apply for the posts in different departments. There is no compulsion to sit for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

Who is a Joint Secretary?

As defined by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), “A Joint Secretary is the head of the wing under the charge of Secretary of the Ministry/ Department and he/she reports to Additional Secretary/ Secretary.”

Joint Secretaries hold an important position in the senior management as they lead policymaking and are responsible for implementation of various programmes initiated by their respective departments.

Applicability

The lateral entry scheme is applicable to professionals from the private sector, state government, Union Territories, PSUs, and autonomous bodies.

According to DoPT, "The candidates from State Governments/Union Territories Administration, Central/State PSUs/Autonomous Bodies etc. set up or controlled by Central/State Governments shall be appointed on deputation (Including Short Term Contract) with a lien in the parent department. The candidates from Private Sector Organisations, International/Multinational Organisations etc., shall be appointed on contract basis."

Eligibility

Eligibility to apply through the lateral entry scheme is mentioned as under:

Any private professional with 15 years of work experience in any of the following fields is eligible to apply for the post:

• Agriculture
• Civil aviation
• Commerce
• Economic affairs
• Environment
• Financial services
• New and renewable energy
• Revenue
• Road transport
• Shipping

Age: Minimum age limit is 40 years as on 1 July 2018

Qualification: Graduation from any recognised University. Higher education qualifications would be considered as an added advantage.

Contract Duration: Professionals will be appointed on contract basis for three years (extendable up to 5 years on the basis of performance.)

Salary: Selected applicants shall be placed at the beginning of the pay scale as applicable to Joint Secretary i.e. ₹144200-218200 per month (Level 14 of Pay Matrix). They shall also be eligible for allowances and perks as applicable.

Application Process

Interested and eligible professionals can apply online from 15^th June 2018. The last date for application submission is 30 July 2018 (till 05:00 PM). There will be no extension of the last date under any circumstances.

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