New Delhi: The bureaucracy - both serving and retired - may be divided over the Modi government's bid to institutionalise lateral entry, but there is consensus that the UPSC should conduct the recruitment for the 10 joint secretary posts that have been opened up to people outside the system.

The failure of the department of personnel and training to mention who would be conducting the recruitment for lateral entry in the advertisements for the 10 posts and also the information posted on its website have added to the concern that lateral entry could end up becoming a mechanism to facilitate the creation of a committed bureaucracy.

"I have no objection to lateral entry of talented people in government. It has been happening over the years. But I object strongly to the way it is being done. Where are the recruitment rules for the post? Why is the UPSC not doing it? All this makes it suspicious," bureaucrat-turned-politician Yashwant Sinha said.

Vishal Gupta, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, underlined the need to remove any doubt about the selection process. "Any process of selection to the higher echelons of the government must be led by the UPSC to inspire confidence. Otherwise it will likely end up eroding public confidence on the services even further," he tweeted.

A former bureaucrat who retired at the top of his service about a year ago told The Telegraph on condition of anonymity there was no need to be so apprehensive. "For one, this has been going on for 40 years; the only difference is that it is going to be more systematic now. Also, getting talent from outside is not a reflection on the existing crop of bureaucrats."

As for the concern of serving bureaucrats that the policy was unfair to them as anyone with a graduate degree and 15 years of service in a profession can aspire to be a joint secretary when it takes those within the system 18 years to be empanelled for that post, he said: "This happens with any lateral entry but this will not affect the promotions or other service conditions of career bureaucrats."

Given service rules, few serving bureaucrats commented openly on the decision. And, those who did were the ones who favoured the move.

One of them was Shah Faesal who tweeted: "I totally support GoI decision to allow lateral entry of professionals at Joint Secretary level. It'll make the services more competitive and force IAS to specialise. New ideas will come in. And the fun part, that those who couldn't enter IAS when young, find a crack in the wall!"

Abhishek Singh, secretary to the chief minister of Nagaland, had a slightly different take on the subject. "The policy for lateral entry at JS level is welcome. Existing Policy under Rule 6.2.2 should also allow temporary lateral exits of serving IAS officers to private sector for 3-5 years to gain experience and acquire private sector skills," tweeted the officer who is an IIT graduate.

Bureaucrats questioned the ambivalence over specialist qualifications in the advertisement given that the purpose is to draw talent in areas where officialdom may have been found wanting.

"All that the advertisement says is a graduate with minimum 15 years of service in a field can apply. What expertise will such a person be bringing to the table? This is not comparable to lateral entries like those of Manmohan Singh or Montek Singh Ahluwalia who had earned repute worldwide in their respective fields of specialisation," said an official.

Some bureaucrats referred to countries in the neighbourhood - Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - which have had a policy for lateral entry. "It would be good to learn the impact of 'lateral entry' in the neighbouring countries that started it decades ago. Better still, read Francis Fukuyama's 'Political Order - Political Decay,'" tweeted P.V. Ramesh.

Since Pakistan is an oft-repeated reference point for many in the Modi dispensation - particularly those who are quick to pack off detractors to the neighbouring country - it has had lateral entry for the army into the civil services since the 1970s, providing another window of opportunity to the deep state to have a finger in the civilian pie.