Chennai, Aug 20 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin said that lateral entry in Civil Services must be abolished as it was a direct assault on social justice.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that lateral entry into Civil Services was depriving the meritorious SC, ST, OBC and minority officers of their deserved opportunities at the top.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that caste census was imperative to guarantee that education and job opportunities are fairly distributed to all backward classes and oppressed classes of the society.

Stalin said: “The Union government must halt this practice, prioritise filling backlog vacancies for OBCs and SC/STs, and ensure fair and equitable promotions.”

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also called for the complete abolition of the "creamy layer," which he called a "concept."

Stalin, in his post on social media platform, X said: “We demand the complete abolition of the Creamy Layer, a concept we have always opposed. In the meantime, the stagnant ceiling for the # CreamyLayer must be raised without any further delay.“

On August 17, 2024, Union Public Service Commission issued an advertisement seeking applications for lateral recruitment to 45 senior positions, including Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries of the Central government.

These office-bearers, it may be noted, are key decision-makers and administrative heads within departments. Candidates with appropriate qualifications and experience from state or UT governments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSU), statutory organisations, research institutes, universities and the private sector are eligible to apply.

Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi has already opposed lateral entry in Civil Services and has accused the Modi government of using it as a backdoor to appoint officers loyal to RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP.