Vice-President urges Civil Services Trainees to lead Viksit Bharat @2047 with team excellence

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Sunday (November 23) urged the Civil Services Officer Trainees at the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN) to play a pivotal role in shaping Viksit Bharat @2047, stressing that they could prioritise “team excellence over personal brilliance” as they enter public service.

Speaking at a programme held on the NACIN campus at Palasamudram mandal headquarters of Sri Sathya Sai district, Mr Radhakrishnan recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the new campus in 2024 and said the institution had emerged as a key hub for capacity building in Customs and GST administration.

Highlighting the significance of the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Vice-President said that Patel’s vision and leadership laid the foundation for a unified, strong and self-reliant India, and remained a guiding force for today’s civil servants.

Mr. Radhakrishnan praised the Union Public Service Commission, which will enter its centenary year in 2026, calling it the “guardian of merit, integrity and fairness” in the recruitment of civil servants. He stressed that inclusive growth must remain central to policy execution. Wealth creation and wealth distribution, he said, are equally important for national progress, and both have received strong emphasis under the Modi government.

Calling GST a “landmark reform that streamlined India’s indirect taxation”, the Vice-President said tax evasion must be curbed decisively. Laws, he noted, are meant for societal welfare and must be enforced effectively by administrators. “The responsibility of upholding the rule of law rests squarely on your shoulders,” he told the trainees.

He urged officers to embrace emerging technologies — AI, natural language processing, machine learning and blockchain — to strengthen transparency and governance. The iGOT Karmayogi platform, he said, offers an excellent opportunity for continuous skill enhancement.

Acknowledging the intense competition of the Civil Services Examination, where only about 1,000 candidates are selected from nearly 12 lakh aspirants each year, he reminded trainees that they now carry the responsibility of driving meaningful change for 140 crore citizens. “With great power comes great responsibility,” he said.

Andhra Pradesh Minister for HRD, IT and Communications Nara Lokesh, the Vice-President’s Secretary Amit Khare, NACIN Director General Subrahmanyam and other officials were present.