Govt takes first step on lateral hiring, officers get into a huddle

The Centre has announced its intention to hire domain experts and professionals at the level of joint secretary

A surprise advertisement across national dailies kept the social media buzzing on Sunday, even as it sent shockwaves through government cadres, especially the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). Government officers’ associations immediately got busy to chalk out their action plan as a nondescript central government ad, drawing record number of eyeballs, invited applications from “talented and motivated Indian nationals” willing to contribute towards nation building.

In simpler terms, the government has formally announced its intention to directly hire professionals and domain experts at the level of joint secretary. This is a departure from the current practice of mostly IAS officers being