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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged bureaucrats to make national interest the sole basis of their every decision, saying the country has put its faith in them and they must uphold that trust.
Addressing bureaucrats on the occasion of Civil Services Day in New Delhi, Modi said it was the duty of civil servants to analyse whether the ruling political party is using taxpayers' money for its own benefit or for the nation.
The prime minister also hailed the contribution of civil servants to nation building and said India's rapid development would not have been possible without their active participation.
In his nearly 33-minute speech, Modi urged "each and every" government employee, whether at state or central level, to ensure national interest is the sole basis of every decision they take.
"As the world is saying that India's time has arrived, there is no time to waste for the bureaucracy of the country. The country has put its faith in you, work while maintaining that trust. National interest should always be the basis of all your decisions," he said.
Speaking on the theme of this year's Civil Services Day, 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India), he said the concept is not limited to modern infrastructure.
"It is important for Viksit Bharat that India's government system supports the aspirations of every Indian and every government servant helps every citizen in realising their dreams and the negativity that was associated with the system in the previous years turns into positivity," he said.
Modi said the motto of his government is "nation first, citizen first" and its priority is prioritising the deprived.
He told the civil servants that there are two approaches to life -- first, getting things done and second, letting things happen.
"The first is an active attitude and the second reflects a passive attitude. People with faith in getting things done take ownership in a proactive manner and become the driving force of their teams.
"With this burning desire to bring change in the lives of the people, you will be able to leave behind a memorable legacy. You will not be judged by what you have done for yourself but by what changes you have brought in the lives of the people," he said.
Therefore, Modi said, good governance is the key. "People-centric governance solves problems and gives better results," he added.
Highlighting the importance and necessity of political parties with different ideologies in a democracy, the prime minister stressed the need for the bureaucrats to assess whether the ruling party is using public money for its own growth or for the nation.
"It is the duty of the bureaucracy to analyse whether a political party is making use of taxpayers' money for the benefit of its own organisation or for the nation, whether it is using the money to create a vote bank or making the lives of the citizens easier, whether it is advertising itself with the government treasure or making the people aware, whether it is appointing its own party workers in various organisations or creating a transparent process for recruitment," he said.
Modi said the civil servants should keep these things in mind while taking any decision.
Recalling the words of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first home minister, who termed the bureaucracy the steel frame of India, the prime minister said it is time to live up to the expectations and ensure that the dreams of youths are not crushed and taxpayers' money is not destroyed.
Modi also hit out at the corruption of previous governments.
"It was the legacy of the earlier system that there were over four crore fake gas connections. It was the legacy of the earlier system that there were over four crore bogus ration cards in the country. It was the legacy of the earlier system that one crore fictitious women and children were getting assistance from the women and child development ministry.
"It was also the legacy of the earlier system that lakhs of fake accounts were created under MGNREGA to transfer the benefits of workers who never existed," he said.
He credited the civil servants for the transformation of the system and preventing nearly Rs 3 lakh crore from landing in the wrong hands, which, he said, is now being used for the welfare of the poor.
Highlighting his government's initiative to do away with the protocol of hierarchy, Modi said he constantly meets secretaries, assistant secretaries and trainee officers.
He said this Civil Services Day is very significant as the country completed 75 years of independence this year.
"The century of independence will be the golden century of the country when we will give first priority to our duties. Duty is not an option for us but a resolution," he said.
During the event, Modi also conferred the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration to recognise the extraordinary and innovative work done by districts and organisations of the central and state governments.
Union Minister of State for Ministry of Personnel Jitendra Singh; Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra; Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba; and Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, V Srinivas were also present on the occasion.