“The stature of India in the international forum has risen in the past nine years and the world now listens to it attentively”, said Defence Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh. He was addressing a gathering of successful candidates of UPSC Civil Services Exam in an event organised in Lucknow on June 18. While interacting with the toppers, Mr. Singh emphasised that the idea of developed India is not mere a dream now, but is becoming reality under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now, a superpower like the United States prepares diligently to welcome and host India’s Prime Minister, and foreign media talks about the country’s success story.
He also stressed that the young civil servants have a vital role in building such a nation and making India developed by 2047 as per PM Modi’s vision. The minister asked the civil servants to earn people’s trust by living up to their expectations and aspirations, and by proactively engaging with them.
“The society is moving forward on the path of progress and prosperity, the feudal system and mentality is diminishing, and in such a situation, living up to the expectations and aspirations of the public is the measure of the capability of bureaucrats and leaders. People’s trust in democracy will increase manifold if bureaucrats connect with the public more readily,” said Mr. Singh.
Emphasizing on the role of people’s representatives in day-to-day governance and democracy, he stressed that civil servants should listen carefully and act on the suggestions made by the public representatives, as in a democracy, the representatives of the people are the representatives of their aspirations.
He also denounced the culture of undue political interference in the local administration. However, he pitched for guidance from the people’s representatives, as they represent the common citizens of the country.
“As people’s representatives, they will definitely raise before you the issues related to their constituency. That’s why you have to work closely with the people’s representatives in your area,” he stressed.
During the address, he also admired the phenomenal performance of women in civil services exam in recent years. “Girls occupying the top 3 positions, and 14 girls out of the top 25 present the picture of changing India, a New India. Our daughters have brought laurels whenever they got the opportunity,” he added.
