President Of India Delivers Fourth Annual Foundation Day Lecture On The 87th Foundation Day Of UPSC

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee delivered the 4th Foundation Day Lecture on ‘Governance and Public Service’ on the occasion of 87th Foundation Day of UPSC today (November 29, 2013) at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the success of our development programme depends on the quality of public administration. People want transparent and professional administration to take care of their needs efficiently. They want immediate disposal of their grievances. They expect the benefits of welfare measures to seamlessly reach the poorest of the poor. This calls for improving service delivery by adopting good governance practices. Governance is crucial for economic development, equity and social participation of various sections of society. An impartial and apolitical bureaucracy strengthens governance and contributes towards economic development and social transformation.

The President said that nations are according high importance to Good Governance because of its inseparable link to social welfare and inclusive development. Absence of good governance has been identified as the root cause of many of the deficiencies in society. It robs the citizenry of their social and economic rights. Good governance signifies basic parameters such as rule of law, participatory decision-making structure, transparency, accountability, responsiveness, equity and inclusiveness. He said country’s public administration has to run on these principles. This necessitates a reorientation in the outlook of the civil services.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prof. D.P. Agrawal, Chairman, UPSC.

This release issued at 1330 hrs