Advice to Civil Servants
The ruler cannot dispense with you.
You alone make him a competent ruler.
Your position with regard to rulers is that you are the ears through which they hear, the eyes through which they see, the tongues through which they speak, and the hands through which they touch.
No craftsman needs more than you to combine all the praiseworthy good traits and all memorable and highly regarded qualities…
The civil servant needs on his own account, and his master who trusts and expects him, to be mild where mildness is needed, to be understanding where judgment is needed, to be enterprising where enterprise is needed, to be hesitant where hesitation is needed.
He must profess modesty, justice and fairness.
He must keep secrets.
He must be faithful in difficult circumstances.
By virtue of his natural intelligence, good education, and outstanding experience, he must know what is going to happen to him before it happens, and he must know the results of his action before action starts.
He must make proper preparations for everything, and he must set up everything in its proper form…
Detest prejudices with all your heart. Guard against backbiting and calumny. Beware of haughtiness, foolishness and pride.
Vice President Hamid Ansari mentioned these tips given in the 8th century at the Civil Services Day (where the award to the Customs RMS was given) and asked, “Does of any of that not hold good today?”