IAS probationers call on President Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: A group of 183 IAS probationers including 3 officer trainees from the Royal Bhutan Civil Services attending the IAS Professional Course Phase –I for the 2014 Batch called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

Addressing the probationers, the President said that he was glad to have an opportunity to meet the young officers who will have a definitive role in steering the destiny of the nation for the next three decades and more. He said that since independence, there have been several officers of the Indian Administrative Service who have left an imprint on the nation by their illustrious service.

The President stated that over the years the nation’s growth has witnessed enormous expansion and transformation. As the young officers progress in their career, they will have newer challenges. To deal with them effectively, they must be proactive, innovative and responsive.

The President said that the vast multitude of people in the country expected them to deliver and supervise the implementation of programmes meant for them. He advised the young officers that they should carry out their duties by paying special attention to the vulnerable sections of the society.

He asked them to always remember the mantra of Mahatma Gandhi: “When you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself: If the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him? Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to ‘Swaraj’ for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubt and your ‘self’ melting away.”

The probationers are in Delhi to attend the training at Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training from February 14 to 20, 2015.