Modi calls for public-service recruits motivated by service, not office

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India should recruit young people into public services who are motivated by serving citizens rather than by the status of public office. Modi made the remarks on Thursday at an event in New Delhi marking the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission. He said recruitment examinations should assess more than what candidates know and should also examine why they want to enter the civil services.

The prime minister described service to citizens as the central purpose of public administration. He urged officials to follow two principles: putting the nation first and putting citizens first. “Our mantra is...

citizen is God,” Modi said, adding that serving citizens was paramount. He said the country needed recruits attracted to public service rather than public office. The event marked the culmination of year-long celebrations that began on October 1, 2025, to commemorate 100 years since the UPSC was established in 1926.

During the programme, Modi released a commemorative coin, a stamp and a book titled “100 Landmark Judgements: Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India”. The prime minister’s remarks focused on the qualities and motivations that should be considered in civil-service recruitment. The source material does not state that the examination system will immediately be changed or explain how candidates’ motivations would be assessed.

His comments nevertheless placed the purpose of public service at the centre of the UPSC’s centenary event, linking recruitment with the broader responsibility of government officials to serve citizens and uphold national priorities.