NEW DELHI: "India is progressing with courage and confidence under Prime Minister Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat, driven by the mantra of ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’," remarked Dr PK Mishra, who is the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai on Saturday, Dr Mishra congratulated the graduating MBA, Executive MBA, and PhD students, while commending the institution’s impressive rise to sixth place among India’s leading IIMs.
Extending his congratulations to students and their families, Dr Mishra emphasised that success is a collective achievement, made possible through the unwavering support of teachers, families, and peers. "This degree carries all their love, patience and support along with your own efforts," he noted.
Reflecting on global challenges, Dr Mishra outlined the complexities of the current economic landscape, referencing the Covid-19 pandemic, trade wars, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and rapid technological disruption. He reiterated that India is navigating this environment with resilience under the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, driven by the guiding principle of "Reform, Perform and Transform."
Dr Mishra highlighted India’s emergence as a global innovation powerhouse, home to over 100 unicorns and 1.9 lakh startups. He spotlighted several key government initiatives, including the Rs 1 lakh crore Anusandhan National Research Fund, the IndiaAI Mission, and the Deep Tech Fund of Funds.
Focusing on human resource development, Dr Mishra stressed that technical skills alone are not sufficient. He underlined the importance of attitude, teamwork, openness, mutual respect, humility, ethics, transparency, and objectivity. "Teamwork is probably much more important than individual brilliance," he remarked.
He encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong learning, given the rapidly evolving nature of knowledge in today’s world. He also spoke of the challenges in embedding values across large organisations and the need for sustained motivation.
On administrative reforms, Dr Mishra discussed the strategic transformation in personnel management since 2014, aimed at building a modern 21st-century civil service. A major reform has been the revamp of the empanelment process for senior positions such as Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, and Secretary to the Government of India.
He explained that the Government introduced a Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) system in 2016, moving beyond the confines of annual assessment reports.
The MSF system includes feedback from seniors, juniors, peers, and external stakeholders, evaluating key attributes such as decision-making, ownership, delivery, proactiveness, and integrity. Dr Mishra noted that the reform has broadened the talent pool and enhanced the credibility of the selection process. Domain expertise, aptitude, and reputation now drive appointments across the Central Government and PSUs.
He further pointed out that personal interviews for Group B and C posts were discontinued in 2016, significantly reducing bias and subjectivity.
Dr Mishra elaborated on Mission Karmayogi, which has transformed civil service capacity-building via the iGOT Karmayogi platform. Currently, the platform hosts over 3,300 courses and caters to more than 1.3 crore users. He highlighted that 79% of enrolled employees are at junior levels, and more than 50 lakh have completed role-specific courses. Course completion has now been integrated into annual performance appraisals, and the Karmayogi Competency Model has been developed to support skill alignment.
The Capacity Building Commission, he said, has supported 107 ministries, departments, and organisations in establishing national training standards. He announced the launch of a Digital Asset Registry aligned with the Gati Shakti platform to optimise resource utilisation.
Additionally, Dr Mishra introduced the e-HRMS system, which offers lifecycle-based employee services and personalised AI-powered learning plans. He noted that the iGOT platform has received global recognition as part of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, with plans underway to extend its use to Caribbean and African nations.
Emphasising the transformative impact of these reforms, Dr Mishra stated that Mission Karmayogi has reached over 30 lakh central civil servants and more than 1 crore officials across states, urban local bodies, and Panchayati Raj institutions. Anchored by the iGOT platform—now the world’s largest governance learning system—it has facilitated over 5 crore course completions, with 2 lakh courses undertaken daily.
Over 10 lakh officials have undergone Seva Bhav training in citizen-centricity. Furthermore, 190+ training institutions have been accredited and enhanced, and more than 100 ministries and departments now maintain dedicated capacity-building units, supported by AI-powered learning paths tailored to individual roles and career stages.
With 22 states onboarded, the platform now hosts over 60 Indian case studies, alongside the Gyan Kosh portal, which has drawn attention from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank. Recognised as part of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, the platform is also being expanded internationally.
Dr Mishra also announced the establishment of a new Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) unit, aimed at integrating India’s civilisational wisdom into contemporary governance. He reiterated that fundamental reforms have been made to senior civil service selection processes, furthering transparency and meritocracy.
Concluding his address, Dr Mishra stressed that these wide-ranging reforms demonstrate that even the largest institutions can be transformed. “India today is not just talking about change. We are proving it – through speed, scale, and purpose,” he asserted. He urged the graduates to carry forward the spirit of Karmayogi in their future leadership journeys.