Citizen-centric governance not an option, must for development: Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said that civil services are the backbone of governance and have played a fundamental role in the implementation of government policies in the country.

Addressing senior officers and other dignitaries at the release of the book 'Reflections on India's Public Policies', co-authored by 1984 batch officers of the Indian Administrative Service, Dhankhar noted that India's governance model with its focus on transparency, accountability, digitisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, is the envy of the world.

"Empowerment and upliftment of vulnerable sections have been effected with successful schemes, ensuring that even the most marginalized citizens have access to essential services," he said.

The Vice President called on Civil Servants to serve the nation with 'PRIDE'. This, he elaborated, implies Public service without personal biases, the Rule of law implemented at grassroots levels, Integrity in dealings with the public, Devotion to duty, and Efficiency in achieving policy targets

Dhankhar also highlighted the critical role that can be played by retired civil servants as a unique valuable national human resource. "Retired Civil Servants are eminently positioned to neutralise and antidote false and anti-national narratives, from within and without, seeking to unjustifiably taint and tarnish our constitutional institutions and democratic values," the Vice President underlined.

The Vice President recognized that democratic governance poses its own unique challenges, and exhorted the civil servants to exhibit an unwavering and steadfast commitment to rule of law and the Constitution.

"Political ingratiation of officials with the ruling dispensation in some parts of the country is severely straining the sublimity of Federalism. This calls for systemic focus by all concerned," he highlighted.