New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday questioned the success of the BJP-led Central government’s scheme of lateral entry into bureaucracy in 2016, 2017, and 2018, which was implemented based on the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission.

“It was a recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission. I want to know, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi implemented those recommendations in 2016, 2017, and 2018, was it successful? Was the first round of lateral entry initiated by the Prime Minister successful? We want to know,” Khera said.

His remarks followed the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Modi government’s proposal to induct professionals with domain expertise into various ministries at the ranks of Joint Secretary, Director, and other senior positions, which he likened to the “privatisation of the IAS.”

“You have been in power for the last decade. What the UPA had presented were recommendations. Recommendatory in nature, not mandatory. What changes did you bring to those recommendations?” Khera asked.

He also questioned the diversity of the selected candidates, asking, “Out of the 52 officers selected in the first round, how many were Dalits, Adivasis, or OBCs?”