Calls for new selection parameters, faster exam cycles
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a fundamental shift in the recruitment philosophy of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), stressing that selection parameters must assess not only academic knowledge but also candidates’ motivation to serve the public rather than merely occupy public office.
Addressing the centenary celebrations of the UPSC at Bharat Mandapam here, Modi said the commission and State Public Service Commissions would have to adapt their selection parameters and recruitment processes to meet the needs of the coming decades.
“Therefore, we will also have to adapt our selection parameters and recruitment process according to future needs,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the UPSC’s 100-year milestone was not merely a celebration of an institution but also of the aspirations of millions of young Indians and the trust placed in the commission by citizens.
He said the credibility of the UPSC had endured despite changes in generations, governments, technology and examination syllabi.
Modi said the next 25 years would present a substantially different socio-economic environment, with greater urbanisation, a narrowing rural-urban divide and rapidly changing expectations among citizens.
He said the recruitment of civil servants must therefore take into account the changing nature of governance and the need for officers capable of responding to new and complex challenges.
The Prime Minister said recruitment should identify candidates whose underlying motivation is to serve the country and its people.
He suggested that newly recruited officers could write down their original motivation for joining public service, allowing them to revisit it when they encounter greater responsibilities and challenges during their careers.
Modi also suggested that UPSC and State Public Service Commissions could institutionalise similar mechanisms for aspirants.
He said candidates with the right motivation would be better equipped to adapt to changing public aspirations.
“When candidates filled with this spirit are selected, achieving national goals will become that much more natural and easier,” he said.
Modi said the civil services would have to operate in an environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and other technological disruptions.
He identified information warfare, deepfakes, algorithmic bias and climate justice among the emerging challenges that future civil servants would have to address.
“In such a scenario, in the selection process, we will also have to give priority to testing complex problem-solving and foresight,” he said.
He called for recruitment agencies to select professionals capable of anticipating problems, working without unnecessary pressure or influence, and developing innovative solutions.
The Prime Minister said 21st-century governance must be based on three principles—“Pro-People, Pro-Active, Good Governance.”
He also called for a shift away from the traditional “Mai-Baap” approach to administration towards ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’, placing the citizen at the centre of governance.
He said citizen service should remain the core of 21st-century administration and stressed the need for empathetic civil servants who proactively work to ease people’s lives and assess the impact of laws on citizens.
Modi also called for greater “Time Certainty” in competitive examinations, saying examination agencies should shorten recruitment cycles without compromising standards.
He said prolonged examination processes place a financial burden on aspirants and their families through coaching expenses, rent and transportation costs.
“This will also be an equity reform,” he said.
He urged UPSC and State Public Service Commissions to share best practices, study international standards and improve technological efficiency through greater institutional cooperation.
He also called for continuous capacity building of selection commissions and suggested greater use of digital infrastructure created under Mission Karmayogi, including the i-GOT platform.
The Prime Minister highlighted the expansion of opportunities in civil services recruitment, particularly for youth from rural areas and women.
He noted that the proportion of women candidates in civil services had risen from 3 per cent in 1952 to more than 30 per cent today.
He also pointed out that three of the four women appointed UPSC Chairpersons since 2014 had been women, describing these developments as evidence of the widening scope of opportunities.
Modi said the number of candidates appearing for examinations had increased 45-fold since the UPSC’s 50th anniversary in 1976, creating a much larger national talent pool and placing greater responsibility on selection bodies.
He said commissions were not merely selecting candidates but choosing people who would eventually become the face and representatives of government at the grassroots.
“Therefore, all of you have a very huge responsibility of selecting the right person,” he said.
Looking ahead to the UPSC’s second century, Modi called for modernisation while stressing that the institution’s foundational values must remain protected.
He said independence, impartiality, merit, confidentiality and fairness must remain uncompromised.
The Prime Minister also recalled the contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in building the administrative framework of independent India.
He said Patel had provided the “steel frame” required not only to keep the country independent but also to govern the newly formed nation effectively.
“The steel frame that was needed for the reconstruction of the nation was provided by Sardar Patel,” Modi said.
Recalling the UPSC’s origins during the British Raj in 1926, he said the institution successfully transformed itself after Independence to serve the aspirations of a free nation.
He said the next phase should focus on preparing the country’s administrative machinery for the challenges of the next 25 years.
During the centenary celebrations, the Prime Minister released a commemorative postage stamp, a special coin and a compilation of 100 significant case laws.
He said the centenary marked both the UPSC’s institutional legacy and the trust and aspirations associated with it, while urging the commission to strengthen its systems for the century ahead.
