Lateral entry not abandoned, Centre open to discussions on reservations, says Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh clarified that the Centre hasn't abandoned lateral entry at various levels, despite cancelling a recruitment process last August. The government is open to further discussions, particularly regarding reservation implementation, which prompted the earlier review. Currently, 45 domain-specific posts remain vacant, while around 50 officers are already serving via lateral entry in different ministries.