The contractual appointment of the Law Secretary was cleared at the highest level as a "high-level technical person" was required for the post, the government said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Replying to a supplementary by Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) regarding appointment of Law Secretary, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the decision to make the appointment on contract for two years was taken by the Search-cum-Selection Committee.
It was done keeping in mind several of the developments that had taken place over the last few years, he said.
"The need was for a high-level technical person, a person qualified highly in a professional approach towards handling of law," Khurshid said.
He said the matter was considered at the highest level, reflected upon, and "then, it was considered in public that this appointment should be made".
Khurshid said the post of level of Additional Secretary, Special Secretary and Secretary in the Ministry are not promotion posts and are required to be filled on the recommendations of the Search-cum-Selection Committee.
Merit and not inter se seniority alone is of prime consideration to the process of selection, he added.
