Honesty and Integrity Must Guide Recruitment: President Murmu

At the 24th National Conference of PSC Chairpersons, President Murmu underscored the critical role of PSCs in shaping India’s governance framework. She emphasized that recruitment must go beyond equality of opportunity to ensure equality of outcomes, with honesty and integrity as paramount criteria. The President highlighted that skill gaps can be addressed through training, but ethical lapses are irreparable. She called upon PSCs to develop tools to assess candidates’ ethical orientation and also stressed the importance of gender sensitization in civil service recruitment.  

Key highlights  
• Honesty and integrity described as “non-negotiable” in recruitment processes  
• PSCs urged to prioritize ethical orientation of candidates alongside skills  
• Equality of outcomes emphasized as a governance goal  
• Skill gaps can be bridged through training, but lack of integrity is irreparable  
• Gender sensitization highlighted as a priority in civil service recruitment  

Impact  
The President’s remarks reinforce the need for PSCs to act as agents of change, ensuring that India’s civil services are built on ethical foundations, thereby strengthening public trust in governance.  

Sources: The Hindu, Telangana Today, The Statesman, President of India Official Website