The Centre is in consultation with the stakeholders on requirements and impact of lateral entry recruitment, a top government official said on Tuesday. Lateral recruitment in the central government has been undertaken since 2018 to appoint persons for specific assignments, including those from the private sector, keeping in view their specialised knowledge and expertise in the domain area. Addressing a presser, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary Rachna Shah said almost 60 officers were taken under the lateral entry in three installments -- at the level of Joint Secretary and Deputy Secretary/Director -- and almost 38 to 40 of them are continuing and contributing in various ministries and departments. Shah said that "we are in consultation and discussion with the stakeholder ministries and departments". Asked if the government was considering forming new rules and procedures on lateral entry recruitment, she said if something comes up in the course of consultation