New Delhi: The Government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 63 appointments have been made through lateral entry at the level of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in various Ministries and Departments since 2018.
The information was shared by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written reply to a Parliament question.
The update was posted by PIB Delhi on February 12, 2026, at 1:42 PM.
Lateral Entry Appointments for Specialized Expertise
According to the government, these appointments were made on a contract/deputation basis for specific assignments, keeping in view the candidates’ specialized knowledge and domain expertise.
The government clarified that:
Each appointment was made against a single-post cadre.
In view of the Supreme Court judgment in ‘PGIMER, Chandigarh vs Faculty Association and Others’, category-wise data of appointed officers has not been maintained.
No posts have been abolished during the last five years.
Ministry-Wise Details of Lateral Entrants Since 2018
An annexure tabled in Parliament provided a detailed break-up of appointments across Ministries and Departments.
- Ministry of Commerce
- Department of Commerce: Joint Secretary – 2, Director – 1
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade: Director – 2
- Ministry of Civil Aviation
- Joint Secretary – 2
- Ministry of Finance
- Department of Financial Services: Joint Secretary – 2, Director – 3
- Department of Economic Affairs: Joint Secretary – 1, Director – 3
- Department of Revenue: Joint Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Director – 1
- Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Director – 3
- Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
- Director – 1
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Director – 2
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Jal Shakti
- Director – 1
- Ministry of Education
- Department of Higher Education: Director – 1, Deputy Secretary – 1
- Department of School Education and Literacy: Director – 3, Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- Director – 2
- Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs)
- Joint Secretary – 1
- Director – 2
- Ministry of Power
- Director – 2
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
- Director – 2
- Deputy Secretary – 4
- Ministry of Heavy Industries
- Deputy Secretary – 3
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Steel
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Mines
- Deputy Secretary – 1
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- Director – 1
- Ministry of Rural Development
- Director – 1
- Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals: Director – 1
- Department of Pharmaceuticals: Director – 1
What is Lateral Entry?
Lateral entry refers to the appointment of professionals from the private sector, public sector undertakings, academia, and other domains into senior government positions, particularly at the level of Joint Secretary and below.
The objective is to:
- Infuse specialized talent into policymaking
- Strengthen governance with domain expertise
- Improve efficiency in key sectors
The government has maintained that such appointments are made for specific roles requiring technical or sectoral knowledge.
No Abolition of Posts in Five Years
Responding to concerns, the government clarified that no posts have been abolished during the last five years in connection with lateral entry appointments.
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