Keep public interest topmost: Modi to IAS officers

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked IAS probationers to keep public interest foremost while discharging their official duties and responsibilities and said the officers should judge themselves by what difference they made to the life the poor.

He also said the assured career path should not make the IAS officers complacent.

“They should judge themselves not by the posts they hold but by what difference they have been able to make in the lives of the poor,” an official release said quoting Modi.

He was addressing 183 probationers, including 3 from the Bhutan Civil Service, who called on him today.

The Prime Minister said many of the services offered by government today are also offered by the private sector and emphasised that officers handling such services in the government should judge the quality of their service using the yardstick of the best in that category and even by international standards.

In response to a question on the development of the North-East and ending the sense of alienation in the region, the Prime Minister said that the core problem is not with policy (neeti) but with practice (reeti).

He said at times, officers from other parts of the country even tried to avoid a posting in the North-East.

Modi emphasised the need for infrastructure development in the North-East to improve accessibility and connectivity with other parts of India. “Once infrastructure develops, the North-East will be able to progress,” he said.

Responding to another question on defence preparedness, the PM said a multi-pronged approach is essential, which involves good relations with all neighbouring countries and a boost to domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.

Modi said while bureaucracy had existed even during the British rule.

“The key difference was that officers of that era worked to perpetuate the rule of the British while in independent India, the objective of administration should be the public interest,” Modi said.

Pointing out the teachings of Lord Buddha, the Prime Minister urged the probationers to “light the lamp within you.”

“It is the inherent goodness that is present in all human beings, which will be the best guide for them in their career,” he said.

Modi said he is of the firm view that the 21st century will be India’s century and India will rise to the position of “Vishva Guru.” In this context, he said that the world had once again started taking note of India’s rapid economic growth rate.

The Prime Minister also pointed to his recent advice to all Secretaries of the union government to visit their first place of posting and see what changes, if any, have happened there, even as they progressed in their careers.

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