First Beneficiary of Lateral Entry to Civil Services

A lot of drama is going on in the lateral entry to civil services which the Government of India had planned to recruit this year!

That is great! People are aware of it and political parties are taking cognizance of the same; particularly Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi!

Let's learn about the history of lateral entry into civil services and who was the first beneficiary of lateral entry into civil services?

It was Vijay Laxmi Pandit. She was the first beneficiary of lateral entry into civil services!

On independence from British rule in 1947, India got her beneficiary of lateral entry into civil services and she was Vijay Laxmi Pandit. She was inducted into the diplomatic services of India and was made ambassador to many countries from 1947 to 1961. She was made the ambassador of the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1949, the United States and Mexico from 1949 to 1951, Ireland & Britain from 1955 to 1961, and Spain from 1956 to 1961.

Not only this but between 1946 and 1968, she led the Indian delegation to the United Nations. In 1953, she became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly (she was inducted as an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 1978 for this accomplishment). That same year in 1978, she was a candidate for Secretary General of the United Nations.

What a distinguished career!

What was her eligibility based on which she was inducted into the diplomatic services soon after independence?

Fair enough!

Before being inducted into the diplomatic services, she was a freedom fighter and a leader of Congress.

Was this only eligibility enough to be inducted into the diplomatic services? If yes, then why couldn't others also be inducted into the civil services at the time of independence?

So what was special about her?

She was especially eligible because she was the younger sister of the first Prime Minister of India, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru!

Did one need anything else after this special eligibility?

Vijay Laxmi Pandit was the first beneficiary of lateral entry into any services and Pankaj Pachauri was the last beneficiary appointed by Congress who was inducted into services in 2012 by Man Mohan Singh Government in Rahul Gandhi used to dictate the terms to the Government of India!

Rajeev K Upadhyay