NEW DELHI: Civil services stand at the heart of India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat and officers must think across domains, operate across sectors, and anchor their work in humility, integrity, and purpose, P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, said on Thursday.

Addressing the plenary session of the UPSC’s Shatabdi Sammelan programme, he said the officers must engage with data as confidently as with people, balance ethical judgment with administrative competence, and remain continuous learners even as they lead.

Mishra said over the past 100 years, the UPSC has upheld merit, fairness, excellence, and integrity, maintaining dignity and credibility as one of the country’s most respected constitutional bodies.

“Generations of civil servants, drawn from India’s diversity, have carried forward ideals of public duty, impartiality, and service to the nation, building institutions, preserving stability, implementing reforms, and upholding constitutional morality, often without recognition,” he said.