Vice-President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, on Saturday addressed the Valedictory Session of the National Conference of Chairpersons of Public Service Commissions (PSCs) in Hyderabad, underscoring the pivotal role of PSCs in strengthening governance and nation-building.

Radhakrishnan emphasized that as India moves towards the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, the quality of civil servants will be decisive in ensuring effective governance. Calling PSCs “constitutional guardians of merit,” he highlighted the importance of selecting competent, impartial, and ethical individuals to uphold public trust.

The vice president noted that the independence of PSCs is central to safeguarding transparency, fairness, and merit in public recruitment, adding that even isolated irregularities could erode institutional credibility.  Radhakrishnan advocated for transparent, anonymized evaluation systems and objective marking to eliminate bias.

The Vice-President also stressed that modern civil servants require not just academic knowledge but ethical judgment, emotional intelligence, leadership, and teamwork skills. He suggested exploring structured assessments for behavioral and ethical competencies alongside conventional exams.

On performance management,  Radhakrishnan called for objective vigilance, periodic appraisals, and review mechanisms to maintain institutional integrity. He also encouraged innovative approaches to talent mapping, citing initiatives like Pratibha Setu to align the right talent with suitable roles.

Concluding his address, he expressed confidence that PSCs would continue to strengthen India’s governance foundations, paving the way for a Viksit and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.