In a recent tweet, IAS officer Smita Sabharwal expressed her disappointment over the rollback of #LateralEntry in UPSC. Her thoughts highlight a critical need for reform in the bureaucracy to ensure better governance and accountability.
Smita advocates for lateral entry as a complementary system that introduces much-needed competition by bringing in domain experts and specialists. This helps prevent complacency among career bureaucrats who may take their performance for granted.
Check out her tweet here-
Disappointing to see the rollback on #lateralentry in UPSC. It is the perfect complement to career-bureaucrats who take performance for granted.
— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) August 21, 2024
Serves as a healthy dose of competition from experts and specialists in domains.
I would go so far as to say that periodically,…
She further suggests a periodic review of performance, recommending that underperformers be retired after 15 years of service. This would create opportunities for more dynamic leadership and fresh talent.
Moreover, Smita proposes a domain-specific approach where bureaucrats, after 10 years in service, can choose their area of expertise and receive advanced in-service training. This specialization would ensure that they are well equipped to handle complex challenges in fields like health, education, infrastructure, and urban development.
Her vision emphasizes accountability, continuous learning, and a more focused approach to public service, ensuring that career bureaucrats are both challenged and empowered to deliver their best in their chosen domains.
