‘Let Your Work Reflect the Nation’s Hopes’: Union Minister to IAS Trainees

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh lauded the highest-ever representation of women in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) during an interaction with the 2023 batch Officer Trainees (OTs), calling it a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for inclusive governance.

With 74 women among the 180 officer trainees—41% of the batch—this year marks the most gender-balanced IAS cohort in Indian history. The interaction was part of the ongoing Assistant Secretary Programme, which attaches young officers to 46 Central ministries for eight weeks to gain hands-on experience in policymaking and governance.

“This record representation of women is a testament to the Modi government’s commitment to women-led development,” said Dr Singh. He credited the Assistant Secretary Programme, launched in 2015 under the Prime Minister’s guidance, for empowering young officers early in their careers and for its critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the programme marks its 10th year, Dr Singh praised its role in nurturing confident, capable civil servants, especially from underrepresented regions like Punjab, Haryana, and the North-East.

The Minister also highlighted the professional diversity of the batch, with 99 engineers and many from medicine and other technical fields. He said this mix of skills is crucial for implementing technologically intensive government initiatives such as Digital India and Smart Cities.

He said that the need for lifelong learning through platforms like iGOT Karmayogi and urged the officers to leverage digital tools while maintaining human empathy in governance. “Despite resolving grievances through technology, emotional satisfaction matters—governance must remain human-centric,” he said, citing innovations like the ‘human desk’ on the CPGRAMS grievance redressal platform.

Dr Singh also proposed a more flexible civil service structure that allows officers to gain external experience and return as domain experts, describing it as a “win-win” model.

He concluded by encouraging the officer trainees to uphold integrity, inclusivity, and the spirit of Antyodaya—serving the last man standing. “Yourepresent the aspirations of a billion people. Let your work reflect that,” he said.

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