NEW DELHI: Civil services stand at the heart of India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat and officers must think across domains, operate across sectors, and anchor their work in humility, integrity, and purpose, P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, said on Thursday.
Addressing the plenary session of the UPSC’s Shatabdi Sammelan programme, he said the officers must engage with data as confidently as with people, balance ethical judgment with administrative competence, and remain continuous learners even as they lead.
Mishra said over the past 100 years, the UPSC has upheld merit, fairness, excellence, and integrity, maintaining dignity and credibility as one of the country’s most respected constitutional bodies.
“Generations of civil servants, drawn from India’s diversity, have carried forward ideals of public duty, impartiality, and service to the nation, building institutions, preserving stability, implementing reforms, and upholding constitutional morality, often without recognition,” he said.
Over decades, UPSC’s examination system has evolved with modern governance while retaining fairness, merit, and equity. Beyond recruitment, UPSC performs vital advisory roles in promotions, deputations, and disciplinary proceedings.
Mishra highlighted the recent Pratibha Setu portal, which securely connects talented candidates who reached the final exam stage with potential employers, linked to the National Career Service, opening new opportunities for youth.
Mishra remarked that the role of civil services has been evolving over the years. He highlighted that before independence, and immediately thereafter, administration was mostly limited to maintaining law and order and collecting revenue.
He emphasised that in the initial decades after independence, the role focused on building the foundation of development planning, institutions, industrial capacity, and basic services.
He underlined that the emergence of technology, urbanisation, climate challenges, and frequent disasters has reshaped the responsibilities of civil servants, and today’s governance demands collaboration more than hierarchy.