Citizen is god: PM writes to officials
Underlining that Nagrikdevo Bhava (citizen is god), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a unique gesture, has written letters to nearly one crore civil servants exhorting them to keep this principle foremost in taking decisions. He also asked them to serve the common folks with compassion.
In his letter, he stressed the point that those who in public service must themselves be the finest examples of lifelong learning. He addressed the bureaucrats as Karmayogis.
The letters, written on April 20, a day ahead of Civil Services Day, were issued in 12 languages — Hindi, English, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi, Assamese, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil — ensuring wider reach across ministries, departments, States and Union Territories.
Modi said the 21st century is a time of great challenges as well as opportunities and trends are changing every day, new technologies are emerging and new innovations are constantly happening. He said both the citizens and the world have great expectations from the country.
“It is important that the Government’s services and work culture are tuned to make the maximum out of this historic era. Making learning a lifelong habit through the use of platforms such as the iGOT Karmayogi platform is important in this regard. You are choosing to be better so that Bharat can be better,” he said. The Prime Minister said he has written the letter to them at a very special time, as in many parts of India, it is a festive season.
He said the atmosphere is filled with the enthusiasm of Rongali Bihu, Vishu, Puthandu, Poila Boishakh, Maha Bishuba Pana Sankranti and Baisakhi. Modi said these festivals are about hope, renewal and new beginnings.
“At such a time, you have become a part of a festival of learning and growing — the Sadhana Saptah. I congratulate you for being a part of this unique effort that brings together civil servants across the length and breadth of India,” he said.
The Prime Minister said he would like to express his deepest appreciation for the civil servants’ passion for service, which enabled them to be a part of this effort.
He said it reflected an unwavering faith, remarkable spirit and unparalleled dedication to strengthening the journey towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
“I have always believed that such platforms are essential for personal growth and for enhancing our professional capacities,” he said.
Modi said discovering something new is among the finest things in life, and one has to keep that spirit of enquiry alive. “It is with this principle that we launched Mission Karmayogi. Yes, on one hand, it was about training and learning new things.
“But, at the same time, it was a reaffirmation that a Government must serve the citizens to the best of its abilities, that governance must be grounded in compassion and that those who bear the responsibility of public service must themselves be the finest examples of lifelong learning,” he said.
The Prime Minister said all civil servants must remember that earlier the yardstick was to be better than the past, but now, it should be to evaluate all the efforts based on the aim of creating a developed nation by 2047.
“The speed, scale, direction and intensity of our efforts must be guided by this vision...The principle of ‘Nagrikdevo Bhava’ must be at the heart of every decision,” he said.
Modi said the iGOT Karmayogi platform, on which the civil servants are learning now, is India’s largest and most ambitious effort to “transform the human capital of our Government and you are at its core.”
“I was told that the three objectives of Sadhana Saptah were: becoming tech ready, understanding our traditions and achieving tangible outcomes grounded in citizen centricity,” he said.
The prime minister said these are indeed noble principles and when these threads are woven into a single fabric, governance becomes modern, rooted in culture and firmly rooted in ‘Jana Seva’.
“I have experienced that commitment to continuous learning is a source of positive energy. I am sure you will agree that we live in an era where keeping oneself updated and upskilled is no longer optional,” he said, adding that committing to constant learning is the only way to be ahead of the curve.
“Over a period of one week, your zeal and Sadhana have been commendable. I am confident that this collective learning movement has ignited a new energy within our civil services. What has made me very happy is the scale of Sadhana Saptah 2026,” he said.
During Sadhana (Strengthening Adaptive Development and Humane Aptitude for National Advancement) Saptah (April 2-8), civil servants across the country participated in structured capacity-building programmes designed to build competencies required for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Prime Minister said it is a delight to see this being marked on an unprecedented scale of engagement, recording over 3.1 crore course completions by over 46 lakh learners, of whom about 33.4 lakh learners completed more than four hours of learning.
“I urge you to continue breaking the silos within your departments. We must move away from the old mindset of working in isolation and embrace a ‘whole-of-Government’ approach,” he said.
Remember, Modi said, the progress of India is the sum of the collective victories across every state and every department.
“Let the spirit of team building you practised this week become the permanent culture of your office. Use the digital tools and data-driven insights you have explored to make governance more efficient and citizen-centric. My best wishes for your journey ahead,” he said.
