The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar said that Civil services are the backbone of governance, and have played a fundamental role in the implementation of Government policies in the country. He was addressing senior officers and other dignitaries at the release of the book ‘Reflections on India’s Public Policies’, co-authored by 1984 batch officers of the Indian Administrative Service, at New Delhi today.

The Vice President noted that India’s governance model, with its focus on transparency, accountability, digitisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, is the envy of the world. “Empowerment and upliftment of vulnerable sections have been effected with successful schemes, ensuring that even the most marginalized citizens have access to essential services,” he said.

The Vice President recognized that democratic governance poses its own unique challenges, and exhorted the civil servants to exhibit unwavering and steadfast commitment to rule of law and constitution. “Political ingratiation of officials with the ruling dispensation in some parts of the country is severely straining the sublimity of Federalism. This calls for systemic focus by all concerned,” he highlighted.