Public Service Commissions must give the highest priority to assessing the honesty and integrity of the candidates they recruit, as these qualities are paramount and non-negotiable for civil servants, President Droupadi Murmu said on Friday.
Pointing out that skill gaps can be addressed through training, she suggested that the commissions should develop tools to evaluate the ethical orientation of aspirants. The President also emphasised gender sensitisation, urging PSCs to accord it high priority while recruiting young civil servants.
President Murmu inaugurated the National Conference for the chairpersons of Public Service Commissions, organised by the Telangana Public Service Commission at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, and addressed the gathering.
She said, “I believe that Public Service Commissions should give the highest priority to the aspect of honesty and integrity of the candidates they recruit. Honesty and integrity are paramount and non-negotiable. Lack of skills and competencies can be dealt with through learning interventions and various other strategies. But a lack of integrity may cause grave challenges that may be impossible to overcome. Public Service Commissions should look for instruments and tools that help assess the ethical orientation of candidates.”
She further noted that the trait of sensitivity should closely accompany the value of integrity. “Young people seeking employment as civil servants should have the inclination to work for the marginalised and the vulnerable. Our civil servants should be particularly sensitive to the needs and aspirations of women. Gender sensitisation should be given high priority by the Public Service Commissions,” the President observed.
The President reminded the gathering that India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and a nation marked by extraordinary diversity, which requires effective governance systems at all levels. As the country advances towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, PSCs must contribute to building a future-ready cadre of civil servants—professionals who can blend conformity with innovation, stability with creativity, continuity with rapid modernisation, and caution with decisiveness.