Modi Envisions Governance That Puts Citizens First

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said governance is being reoriented to make public service more capable and sensitive to citizens, stressing the need to continuously update administrative systems in line with changing times.

Addressing the “Karmayogi Sadhna Saptah” via video message, coinciding with the foundation day of the Capacity Building Commission, he said the guiding principle of the administration is “Nagrik Devo Bhava”, treating citizens as supreme. "Governance is now being given a new identity by making it truly citizen-centric," he said.

Recalling the rationale behind the Commission, the Prime Minister said a dedicated institutional mechanism was required to strengthen the capabilities of government employees. "This very thinking gave birth to the Capacity Building Commission, which is focused on empowering every Karmayogi in the system," he said.

Linking the initiative to the vision of Viksit Bharat, he underlined the need for economic growth, infrastructure, technology adoption and a skilled workforce, adding that public institutions have a key role in achieving these goals. "Today's India is deeply aspirational, every citizen has dreams and goals, and upon all of us lies the responsibility to provide maximum support to fulfil them," he said.

He said governance must be judged by improvements in “Ease of Living” and “Quality of Life”, urging officials to adopt continuous learning. "Our governance should ensure that the quality of life of citizens improves day by day, this is our true benchmark," he said.

Calling for a shift in administrative culture, he said the emphasis should move from authority to duty. "Before every decision, when you think about what your duty demands, the impact of your decisions will automatically multiply many times over," he said.

Highlighting the role of technology, the Prime Minister said its integration across governance and service delivery has deepened over the past decade and will accelerate further with artificial intelligence. "A better administrator, a better public servant, will be one who possesses a strong understanding of technology and data, this will form the very basis of decision-making," he said.

He said capacity building in emerging technologies would be a focus during the programme.

On federal cooperation, he said development must be uniform across states and called for greater coordination. "We have to break silos and move forward with better coordination, shared understanding and a whole-of-government approach, only then will every mission succeed," he said.

He added that public servants must uphold trust in institutions through their conduct. "Whatever we do, at whatever level, we must safeguard that trust, it is the foundation of our democracy," he said.