NEW DELHI: India President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said civil servants should try to reach the underprivileged, and reminded them that welfare schemes can be rated truly successful only if their advantages reach those in the lowest strata of society.

Murmu said it was expected of government officials to reach the last person or the most underprivileged person in their area of duty and enhance their living conditions. She was speaking to a group of 175 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers from the 2020 batch.

They may provide an opportunity for those who are unaware of development or welfare programmes, she said. State officials should be motivated by a desire to see their region get to the top of the human development rankings. And they should be proud of changing the lives of the less fortunate. They ought to show consideration for the individuals they have a responsibility to help," Murmu said.

President said that the great Indian ethos of "Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam" (the idea that the entire world is one big family) and "Bharatamev Kutumbakam" (the idea that all of India is my family) should be ingrained in the civil officials who work for all-India services.

The President further emphasised that a welfare effort can only be considered truly successful if its advantages are received by the impoverished, the oppressed, and other members of the lowest social strata. Civil workers should make an effort to connect with the poor, she said, as access to distant areas of the nation has improved due to significant infrastructure growth.

Speaking to the officers, she said that they should pay special attention to and take action in accordance with the constitution's provisions governing Panchayati Raj Institutions, the management and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, and the management of the tribal areas in the north-east listed in the Sixth Schedule.

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