President Pranab Mukherjee called upon civil servants to be instruments of socio-economic transformation.
He was addressing officers at the conclusion of their mid-career training programme and also officer trainees of IAS, IPS, IFS and Royal Bhutan Civil Service attending 88thfoundation course at lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (lBSNAA), Mussoorie on Friday. Addressing the officers, the President said there are few bureaucracies in the world who possess the qualifications, repertoire of skills and talents that they possess.
When civil servants face political pressure, they should be patient and tactful in handling issues within the prescribed legal framework. At the same time, civil servants should understand the compulsion of political leaders who are answerable to their constituents, in wake of the growing development aspirations.
Mukherjee recalled his first stint as a minister in the 1970s, saying he had a seasoned and senior IAS officer as his Secretary, whom he once asked if he felt 'embarrassed' taking instructions from a young minisiter like him. He quoted his Secretary's reply, "Mr Minister, when I receive instructions from you, I do not look at your face. I look beyond your face, at the vast multitude of people of this country who have chosen you to be here."
Mukherjee said that strengthening constitutional bodies is vital for maintaining Indian democracy. The founders of the Indian Constitution had the foresightedness to create independent institutions and facilitate decentralisation of power.
He said that India has an independent judiciary, election commission, parliament and executive. Each institution has an important role to play. He said that by adopting the principle of secularism, our country has given equal importance to every religion. Respecting the liberty to follow any religion, the Government has decided to not provide special provisions for any one religion.
He declared that the GDP growth rate for the past 10 years had been calculated at 7.9 per cent, which was the highest ever in any decade. Where, earlier, the trickle down effect was considered important for economic development, now the focus was on people's empowerment. Although the progress of women could not be considered satisfactory, it was not possible to excel without the empowerment of half the country's population.
He pointed out that while, in many countries, the concept of democracy had failed, it was only getting better and growing stronger over time in India. He said that as compared to before, the selected civil services candidates were coming from less privileged families. Giving his own example, the President said that he came from a very humble background. He had to walk ten kilometres to attend school.
He said it was the greatness of India's democracy that despite being born in a simple family, he reached a post as high as that of the President. Mukherjee said that all institutions had been given freedom to function under the Indian constitution. There was a balance between the judiciary, executive and legislature. He asked the officers to use their knowledge, caliber and experience for the country's development.
He said that there was a major contribution made by administrative officers in social reformation, multipurpose projects, legal arrangements and revenue. He said that legislators and parliamentarians were the people's representatives. Their decisions should always be valued. Mukherjee also distributed certificates to the participating officers. Governor Aziz Qureshi was also present on the occasion along with Union Minister of State V Narayanasami.