President Droupadi Murmu addressed officer trainees of the Indian Information Service and Indian Statistical Service during their visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 19, 2026. She emphasized that both services, though functionally different, share the common purpose of strengthening governance quality and serving the people, with effective communication and credible information being essential pillars of a vibrant democracy.
The President advised Indian Information Service officers to use social media platforms not only to inform and engage citizens but also to listen, understand, and respond to public concerns. She highlighted that social media has fundamentally transformed information dissemination and stressed that accuracy, credibility, and public interest should guide all communication, especially as India moves toward 2047 where well-informed citizens can actively participate in development and democratic processes.
For Indian Statistical Service officers, President Murmu emphasized the importance of accurate, timely, and credible data in today's data-driven world, noting that quality public policy depends on such data. She urged officers to make statistics more accessible to citizens, researchers, and policymakers and to remember that behind every dataset are real people and their lives. Their role in building a modern, trusted, and technology-enabled statistical ecosystem was described as crucial for India's journey toward Viksit Bharat.
The President also provided general career advice, encouraging officers to continue learning and adapting to rapid changes in technology, media, economics, and public policy. She emphasized the need for curiosity, new competencies, experience-based learning, judicious decision-making, compassionate conduct, and unwavering integrity in upholding their responsibility to serve the people with fairness, humility, and dedication.