Indian Police Service (IPS)
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Lateral entry
Deeptiman Tiwary, Dec 08 2014
Despite a shortage of nearly 1,000 IPS officers, the government often gives a quiet burial to the scheme of lateral entry of officers from other services into Indian Police Service. Aspirants claim that the home ministry has been dragging its feet on the issue apparently under the pressure of ‘IPS lobby’ which has been vehemently opposed to the idea, arguing it would dilute the quality of the elite service.
Owing to severe shortage of IPS officers, in 2012, the UPA government had introduced Limited Competitive Exam (LCE) through which junior-level state police, paramilitary and armed forces officers were supposed to be inducted into IPS laterally.
Exams were held under UPSC and 245 candidates were interviewed after clearing written tests. Of these, 80 were to be selected — a practice envisaged annually. The UPSC, however, has held the results back on the pretext of numerous litigations challenging the scheme.
Under the NDA government, the home ministry wrote to the law department in June to club all LCE cases and have them heard in Supreme Court to expedite the matter. Sources, however, said things have not moved in the past six months.
“This issue is too complicated with too much litigation. It is unlikely anything will happen in the case. It would be allowed to die its own death,” a senior home ministry official said.
Aspirants, however, argue that there are no legal hurdles for declaring the exam results. “Whether the government wants to continue with this scheme is its prerogative. But at least declare the results of the exam already conducted,” said one of the aspirants who too has gone to court on the issue.
