New Delhi- The government has asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel an advertisement for the appointment of 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries in central ministries. The advertisement has recently been questioned by the opposition parties and various Bahujan organisations.

Union Minister for Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh has written a letter to the UPSC chairman Preeti Sudan, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. He expressed concern over the advertisement.

In the letter, Singh has said that the process of lateral entry into bureaucracy should be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice.

He has further said that reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of the government's social justice framework. According to Singh, reservation has been treated as a specialized and designated post for a long time due to which there is no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on ensuring social justice.