President Pranab Mukherjee has called upon civil servants to be instruments of socio-economic transformation.
President Mukherjee said there are few bureaucracies in the world who posses the qualifications, repertoire of skills and talents that Indian bureaucrats possess.
"When civil servants face political pressure, they should be patient and tactful in handling issues within the prescribed legal framework," he said while addressing officers attending Phase-V of mid-career training programme and also officer's trainees of IAS, IPS, IFS and Royal Bhutan Civil Service attending 88th foundation course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), at Mussoorie on Friday.
"At the same time civil servants should understand the compulsion of political leaders who are answerable to their constituents, in wake of the growing development aspirations," he added.
He also advised civil servants to have a vision of their own and contribute towards nation building.
President Mukherjee recalled his first stint as a minister in the 1970s, saying that he had a seasoned and senior IAS officer as his Secretary, whom he once asked if he felt 'embarrassed' taking instructions from a young Minister like him.
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He quoted his secretary's reply, "Mr Minister, when I receive instructions from you, I do not look at your face. I look beyond your face, at the vast multitude of people of this country who have chosen you to be here."
The President urged the officers to work towards strengthening of institutions, and stressed that institutions are the building blocks of the democracy and a fine balance, as envisaged in the Constitution, must be maintained.
He also emphasized on the importance of role of women in development and prosperity of society.
He said that women should be encouraged to come forward and their safety and security must be ensured, and urged the nation to reset its moral compass.
Governor of Uttarakhand Aziz Qureshi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), V. Narayanasamy, and Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training S.K Sarkar were also present at the occasion.