PM Modi teaches ART skill to government officials

“Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency — this ART is essential for good governance,” he said.

Advocating reforms in the bureaucracy, Mr Modi said there was a need to give impetus to reforms and technology as the day was not far when the world will look at mobile governance.

“One department is working, but it is stopped somewhere. You will ask what has happened? It will say that is the bureaucratic way of functioning. Similarly, if some work is stuck somewhere, we say it is political interference,” Mr Modi said. Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the PM said it was natural to recall the contribution of country’s first home minister, who had worked for integration of India. “Today, the need is socio-economic integration. We think of a model that gives importance to integration, that brings the people closer to each other,” he said.

Asking civil servants to value the importance of life, Mr Modi said otherwise it would become uninteresting, just like a page of any file. “A life full of tension cannot achieve anything, especially when you have to run the nation... You are very good at time management, but do you spend quality time with your family? Please think about this,” he said.

Mr Modi asked bureaucrats to imagine whether or not their life had become “robotic”. “If it has happened, then this impacts the whole government and system. We can’t be robotic. That can’t be our life,” the PM said in an hour-long interaction with the civil servants.

Giving a pep talk to the officers, Mr Modi said none of them should look withered. “File is your 2nd ardhang (better half). If you do not care about life, it will get stuck in files,” the PM said. “... Why are you sitting like that? I am not going to ask you to do any new work,” Mr Modi said, taking a dig at taut-looking officers, evoking laughter.