New Delhi: A group of 175 IAS officers of 2020 batch, currently deputed to various Union Ministries and Departments as Assistant Secretaries, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan August 25.

Addressing the officers, the President said that as civil servants, they have an important role to play in the emergence of India as a global hub of knowledge, supply-chain, innovation, technology-development and various other fields. At the same time, India has to strengthen the leadership position it has taken in the areas of socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable development.

Pointing to the fact that by 2047, the officers of 2020 batch will be among the senior most decision makers, the President said that by working with passion and pride, they can ensure that the India of 2047 will be much more prosperous, strong and happy.

She said that to shape that India of 2047, they have to work with a modern and service-oriented mind-set. She noted that Mission Karmayogi is a major initiative to make our civil servants more modern, dynamic and sensitive in their approach.

The President said that with tremendous growth in infrastructure, it has become easier to reach remote parts of the country. She said that it is expected from civil servants to reach the last person or the most deprived person in their area of responsibility and improve her living condition. They can open up opportunities for those who are not aware of the welfare schemes or development programs.

She reminded them that any welfare initiative can be rated truly successful only if its benefits reach the poor, the downtrodden and such other people at the lowest strata of our society. She said that civil servants should try to reach such underprivileged people. Underprivileged people should not be put into the difficulty of reaching them for help, she added.

The President said that civil servants should be guided by dedication to public service, empathy and compassion towards the weaker sections, maintaining highest standards of integrity and conduct and impartiality and objectivity. They are expected to be especially mindful and active with respect to constitutional provisions related to Panchayati Raj Institutions, administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, and provisions about administration of tribal areas in the North-East mentioned in the Sixth Schedule.

The President said that civil servants should be fired by the passion to make their area ‘number one’ in terms of human development indices. And they should feel pride in transforming the lives of the under-privileged. They should be sensitive to the people they are duty-bound to serve. She said that ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ - the entire world is one large family - is part of the great Indian ethos. ‘Bharatamev Kutumbakam’ - all India is my family - should be integral to the ethos of civil servants belonging to All India Services. /BI/