UPSC at Crossroads: Reservation Backlogs, Lateral Entry and Bias in the Interview

New Delhi- Amid the recent UPSC CSE results, celebrations spotlighting few individuals from marginalized communities, yet overshadows a deeper crisis that threats the constitutional vision of social justice. The rights of SC (Scheduled Castes), ST (Scheduled Tribes), and OBC (Other Backward Classes) groups are being affected by successive governments’ ineffective policies and the incomplete implementation of Constitutional reservation quotas.

This article tries to uncover the structural barriers, focusing on reservation backlogs, the lateral entry scheme, and bias in UPSC interviews.

Reservation Backlogs and Underrepresentation of Marginalised Communities

According to an analysis by Christophe Jaffrelot and Kalaiyarasan (2020), the number of UPSC shortlisted candidates for the Civil Services Examination dropped sharply from 1,236 in 2014 to 759 in 2018, a decline of nearly 40%, reflecting a shrinking pool of opportunities where reservation quotas for SC, ST, and OBC can be applied. This reduction coincides with a surge in central government vacancies, rising from 5.5 lakh in 2006 to 7.5 lakh in 2014, with no recent data available, suggesting a potential backlog in filling reserved posts. Additionally, the total number of central government employees fell from 32.69 lakh in 2003 to 26.30 lakh in 2012, reducing SC beneficiaries by 16% (from 5.40 lakh to 4.55 lakh), despite rising representation percentages. (Jaffrelot & Kalaiyarasan, 2020)

Lateral entry initiatives, such as in February 2019 shortlisting of 89 applicants (out of 6000 candidates from private sector) for the recruitment 10 Joint Secretary posts, further bypass reservation quotas, exacerbating the backlog in UPSC-recruited services. These trends highlight systemic barriers to achieving the 15% SC, 7.5% ST, and 27% OBC quotas, necessitating reforms to address the growing reservation backlog. (Jaffrelot & Kalaiyarasan, 2020). 

Nethra Pal is an IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and author of The Pain of Merit and The Inspiring Ambedkar. He writes that the stark underrepresentation SC, ST, and (OBC) in senior roles within India’s Central Government staffing scheme. At the Secretary level, SCs, STs, and OBCs combined represent just 4.39%, with OBCs and STs having zero representation. General category officers dominate with 95.51% at this level. A similar trend persists at the Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary levels, with representation for marginalized groups remaining very low (below 7%). Even at the Director level,SC/ST/OBC representation remains significantly far below the mandated 49.5% reservation (15% SC, 7.5% ST, 27% OBC)

Among the 928 positions at the director level and above, only 13% (120 officers) belong to the SC/ST category, falling short of the 208 officials required under the 22.5% reservation policy (15% for SC and 7.5% for ST) (Pal, 2023). The proportion of SC/ST officers decreases significantly from 15.52% at the deputy secretary/director level to 4.8% at the secretary level as seniority increases. Of the 87 secretaries in central ministries and departments, just 4 (4.8%) are from the SC/ST group. Additionally, only 12 additional secretaries and 25 joint secretaries are SC/ST, compared to the sanctioned numbers of 90 and 242, respectively. At the deputy secretary/director level, 79 out of 509 posts (15.52%) are held by SC/ST officers.(Pal, 2023)

Lateral Entry: Reservation Exclusion and the Threat to Social Justice

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on August 17, 2024 to fill 45 significant positions, including ten joint secretary roles and 35 director/deputy secretary positions, through a lateral entry process. This move sparked controversy, with opposition parties criticizing it a deliberate strategy to end reservation. In a parliamentary response in July, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh addressed a question from Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar regarding the representation of SC,ST, and OBC in lateral entries, stating that such demographic data is not tracked. To date, 63 individuals have been appointed via lateral entry, with 35 coming from the private sector, and 57 currently serving across various ministries. (The Wire, 2024).

Chandra Shekhar Aazad of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) has criticized the government, claiming that between 2017 and 2023, approximately 52 appointments to joint secretary, deputy secretary, and director posts were made violating the reservation norms. He further stressed that the latest advertisement for 45 posts implies a clear preference for candidates aligned with the Sangh (RSS) and supportive of BJP’s political agenda. (The Wire, 2024).Political bias concerns, including potential favoritism toward politically aligned candidates, are highlighted by former UPSC chairman Deepak Gupta in Forum IAS Blog, published on June 6, 2023. (Forum IAS Blog, 2023). 

Ashok Bharti from the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations labeled the government’s move to allow lateral entry as a tactic to create a “politically committed bureaucracy,” ending reservation for SC, ST, and OBC candidates (Indian Express, 2018). Jitendra Meena, a spokesperson for the Bharat Adivasi Party, called lateral entry a “scam,” alleging that it facilitates the filling of higher posts with upper-caste individuals, sidelining ST and SC candidates (The Wire, 2024).

Interview Bias: Discrimination in UPSC Interview Scores

Nethrapal conducted an in-depth study of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Service Examination (CSE) trends over a decade, from 2007 to 2017, analyzing data from 10,678 candidates. His reasearch reveal a minimal percentage mark gap—typically under two to five percent—between General and reserved category candidates. The average final score for General category candidates during this period was 47.85%, while OBC candidates averaged 46.56%, SC candidates 45.30%, and ST candidates 44.70%. When focusing solely on written test scores, the gap narrows further: General category candidates scored 45.65% on average, OBC 44.59%, SC 43.30%, and ST 42.52%. Nethrapal noted that the disparity in final scores often stems from the Personality Test (Interview) rather than the written exams. A closer look at the top 100 SC candidates showed they tend to score lower in the Personality Test despite strong written test performance, with only one out of these 100 scoring above 200 out of 300 marks in the interview. This highlights potential biases in the interview process affecting reserved category candidates’ overall rankings. (EdexLive, 2024).

In July 2021, Delhi's Social Welfare Minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam, raised concerns regarding caste-based discrimination in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) interview process. He penned a letter to the UPSC Chairman, Pradeep Kumar Joshi, highlighting allegations from reserved category candidates who were systematically awarded lower marks during interviews compared to their general category counterparts. To deal with such biases, Gautam proposed that the UPSC should ensure the anonymity of candidates' caste identities during interviews. He also recommended randomizing the selection of interviewees, rather than grouping candidates based on their reservation status. (The Indian Express, 2021)

This issue isn't isolated. In 2016, the Akhil Bharatiya Dalit and Muslim Mahasangh (ABDMM) raised concerns about SC/ST candidates receiving lower interview scores despite higher written exam results, indicating the bias in the interview process.(The Hindu, 2016) Furthermore, in 2023, the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) highlighted government data indicating violations of reservation policies in education and employment sectors, pointing to practices like not filling reserved posts by declaring candidates "not found suitable" . (AIOBCSA, 2023)

Conclusion

Reservation backlogs, with a 40% decline in shortlisted candidates and persistent underrepresentation, reveal critical conditions to uphold constitutional rights. Lateral entry schemes, bypassing reservation for 63 appointments. Interview biases further disadvantage SC/ST/OBC candidates, as seen in lower Personality Test scores despite competitive written Test score. A strong law to fill the reservation backlog while ending the lateral entry, and transparent interview process are essential to ensure the constitutional rights of marginalised communities.

References 

AIOBCSA. (2023). Govt data exposes discrimination, unfair treatment of SC, ST, OBC in education, jobs  Govt data exposes discrimination, unfair treatment of SC, ST OBC in education, jobs: AIOBCSA

EdexLive. (2024, April 10). Less than 2% marks difference between reserved and general categories in UPSC: IRS officer Nethrapal. https://www.edexlive.com/news/2024/Apr/10/less-than-2-marks-difference-between-reserved-and-general-categories-in-upsc-irs-officer-nethrapal

ForumIAS Blog. (2023, June 6). Centre’s ‘lateral entry’ plan gains traction. https://forumias.com  https://forumias.com/blog/centres-lateral-entry-plan-gains-traction

Jaffrelot, C., & Kalaiyarasan, A. (2020, July 8). Reservation is being undermined by privatisation push and decline in political clout of backward castes. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/reservation-in-india-privatisation-push-nirmals-sitharaman-backward-castes-6494931/

Pal, N. (2023). The pain of merit (pp. 4-5). 

The Economic Times. (2024, August 17). Lateral entry appointments. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/government-jobs/govt-asks-upsc-to-cancel-advertisements-related-to-lateral-entry/articleshow/112647249.cms?from=mdr

The Hindu. (2016). UPSC interviewers biased against SC/ST candidates, says Dalit outfit. UPSC interviewers biased against SC/ST candidates, says Dalit outfit - The Hindu

The Indian Express. (2018, June 16). Dalit, Adivasi outfits’ protest to bring up issue of lateral entry into bureaucracy. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dalit-adivasi-outfits-protest-to-bring-up-issue-of-lateral-entry-into-bureaucracy

The Indian Express. (2021, July). Don’t make interview board aware of candidates’ caste: Delhi minister to UPSC. Minister asks UPSC not to make interview board aware of candidates' caste

 The Indian Express. (2024, August 20). Lateral entry advertisement withdrawn.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/upsc-lateral-entry-advertisement-cancel-bureaucracy-9523445/

The Wire. (2024, August 18). UPSC advertises 45 posts for lateral hires; opposition says ‘Modi’s guarantee’ to end reservation. https://thewire.in/government/upsc-45-posts-lateral-entry-opposition-attack.

- The Author has completed their Masters in Public Policy and Governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and aspires to contribute to independent scholarship from the margins.