Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta has called upon the next generation of state civil servants to place integrity, transparency and public service at the heart of governance, stressing that administrative officers are not merely government officials but the vital link between the administration and the people.
The Governor made these remarks while interacting with 27 probationers of the 2025 batch of the Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) and Allied Services, who paid a courtesy call on him at Raj Bhavan during their six-week Foundation Course at the Dr. Manmohan Singh Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA), Shimla.
Congratulating the young officers on joining one of the state’s most prestigious public services, Gupta described the opportunity as a responsibility to serve society with commitment, sensitivity and professionalism. He said the training period would play a defining role in shaping their administrative outlook, leadership skills and decision-making abilities, which would influence their careers and the lives of the people they serve.
Highlighting the unique governance challenges in a hill state like Himachal Pradesh, the Governor said delivering government services and welfare schemes to remote and geographically difficult regions demands innovation, dedication and a citizen-centric approach. He also underlined the increasing need for administrative preparedness in the face of natural disasters such as landslides, cloudbursts and other climate change-related emergencies, which have become recurring challenges for the state.
Emphasising the principles of good governance, Gupta urged the probationary officers to uphold transparency, accountability and timely delivery of public services throughout their careers. He advised them to remain accessible to citizens, listen patiently to public grievances and work with empathy and sincerity to resolve them.
He said honesty, impartiality and adherence to constitutional values remain the strongest pillars of public administration. Every decision taken by an officer, he noted, must be guided by the Constitution, the rule of law and the larger public interest, thereby strengthening people’s trust in the administrative system.
The Governor also stressed the growing importance of technology-driven governance, encouraging the officers to embrace digital platforms, e-governance initiatives and modern administrative practices to improve efficiency, transparency and citizen-friendly service delivery.
Referring to the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, Gupta said civil servants would play a crucial role in translating this aspiration into reality. He urged the officers to contribute actively to nation-building by ensuring effective implementation of government programmes, encouraging innovation, strengthening public participation and promoting accountable governance.
The Governor also highlighted Himachal Pradesh’s focus on sustainable agriculture, asking the young administrators to actively support natural farming initiatives and ensure that government schemes reach beneficiaries effectively at the grassroots level.
Encouraging the officers to pursue lifelong learning, Gupta advised them to continuously update their knowledge, maintain discipline and view every administrative challenge as an opportunity to serve society more effectively.
Earlier, HIPA Director Rupali Thakur presented an overview of the six-week Foundation Course, outlining its objective of equipping newly recruited officers with the administrative knowledge, practical skills and ethical values required for effective public service. During the interaction, the probationers also shared their experiences and learning from the training programme.
Governor’s Secretary Sandeep Bhardwaj and Assistant Course Director Sandeep Sharma were also present during the interaction.
