The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Addressing the 2023 batch of IAS officers after their rigorous Phase-I training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy, the Vice President exuded profound joy. He commended their excellence, integrity and commitment – quintessential traits for steering India’s destiny. Reminiscing the institution’s illustrious legacy nurturing countless civil servants, he perceived the current batch’s potential to architect the vision of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
The Vice President recounted India’s transformative journey from a struggling economy to the 5th largest global powerhouse, rapidly advancing to clinch the 3rd position. The nation transitioned from lacking basic amenities like electricity, roads, toilets and gas connections in villages to realizing Mahatma Gandhi’s “Antyodaya” philosophy through progressive policies. Landmark reforms like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) ushered in transparency while digitization revolutionized service delivery, securing each citizen’s ease of living.
Lauding India’s technological prowess, the VP highlighted its commanding 50% share of global digital transactions in 2023 and per capita internet usage exceeding USA and China combined. He credited robust digital infrastructure across the nation for enabling transparent governance by circumventing intermediaries and directly transferring 100% entitled benefits to the last beneficiary. This included over 100 million farmers receiving PM-KISAN installments totaling a staggering 3 lakh crores annually.
The Vice President acknowledged India’s quantum leap in infrastructure growth with world-class rail, road and air connectivity matching global standards. He applauded the far-sighted National Education Policy tailored for skill-based learning over mere degree-orientation. On the diplomatic front, he underscored India’s rising clout reflected through its successful G20 Presidency and inclusion of the African Union.
However, the VP lamented the persistent orchestration of anti-national narratives falsely vilifying India’s robust constitutional bodies and obstructing the nation’s growth saga. Countering misinformation around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he clarified its humane intent of facilitating citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from neighboring nations, upholding India’s age-old secular ethos of refuge. He urged the officers to resolutely deflate such malicious propaganda.
Highlighting India’s pluralistic fabric, the VP reminisced the delayed yet well-deserved honors bestowed upon eminent freedom fighters and public figures like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Birsa Munda, Karpoori Thakur, Choudhary Charan Singh, PV Narasimha Rao and M.S. Swaminathan. He motivated the officers to imbibe and exemplify the civilizational values of “Seva Bhav” (spirit of service) and “Sahanubhuti” (empathy), earning the admiration of elders while inspiring the nation’s youth through their conduct.
The VP strongly condemned partisan opposition undermining India’s growth trajectory, emanating from those formerly entrusted with governance yet exhibiting apathy towards the national interest after relinquishing power. He passionately implored the officers to uphold nationalism as their prime concern, unfettered by political motives or self-interest. Nothing, he stressed, should compromise the nation’s security, foreign policy and global standing.
Recalling Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vision for an independent civil service with the moral strength to constructively dissent, the VP urged the officers to harness frontier technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Blockchain. He emphasized converting the disruptive challenges posed by these disruptive forces into opportunities benefiting the public good.
Concluding with paternal blessings for the batch, the VP expressed gratitude towards the rigorous faculty training which fortified them as society’s role models. He reposed confidence in their ability to catalyze transformation and foster civic discipline through personal conduct, thereby scripting India’s glorious journey to “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.