At the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai on September 20, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary, P.K. Mishra, urged students to embrace values, teamwork, and continuous learning as the foundation for lasting success. He stressed that technical knowledge alone is not sufficient, and highlighted the importance of qualities such as openness, mutual respect, humility, ethics, transparency, and objectivity in both professional and personal life.
Focusing on human resource development, Mr. Mishra observed that in a rapidly changing world, knowledge quickly becomes outdated. He emphasized the need for organizations to instill values and sustain motivation to remain relevant and effective.
Turning to administrative reforms, he described the transformation in personnel management since 2014 as part of a broader vision to build a “21st-century civil service.” A central element of these reforms has been the restructuring of the empanelment process for senior roles, including Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, and Secretary. Moving beyond traditional annual performance appraisals, the government introduced a multi-source feedback system in 2016 that assesses decision-making, ownership, delivery, proactiveness, and integrity, drawing input from seniors, juniors, peers, and external stakeholders.
Mr. Mishra underlined that these reforms have expanded the talent pool, enhanced the credibility of appointments, and ensured that selections across the Central Government and public sector enterprises are guided by domain expertise, aptitude, and integrity.
