President Droupadi Murmu addressed the batch of 2020 IAS officers at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. 

A group of 175 IAS officers of the 2020 batch, currently deputed to various Union Ministries and Departments as Assistant Secretaries were called on at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

While addressing the officers, the President said that as civil servants, you 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. 

President further added, “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, officers of the 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. 

President also pointed to the central government initiative ‘Mission Karmayogi’ as 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 of civil servants to reach the last person or the most deprived person in their area of responsibility and improve her living condition. 

Civil servants should be guided by dedication to public service, empathy and compassion towards the weaker sections, maintaining the highest standards of integrity and conduct and impartiality and objectivity, further, she added. 

They are also 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 the administration of tribal areas in the North-East mentioned in the Sixth Schedule.

Civil Servants should be fired with the passion to make their region ‘number one’ in terms of human development indices. They should be sensitive to the people they are duty-bound to serve. 

President Murmu ended his discourse by saying 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.