Arif Mohd calls for Rajdharma-based public service

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Sept 1: Former Union Minister Arif Mohammed Khan has called for a deeper understanding of Rajdharma as an ethic of public responsibility, stressing integrity, empathy, fairness and non-discrimination in the exercise of public authority.

He was delivering the keynote address at Reimagining Governance: Discourse for Excellence (RGDE), organized by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) under the aegis of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) at New Delhi. Officers and officials from EPFO and PDUNASS, besides field officers joining virtually from across the country participated.

Khan described Dharma as a principle of righteous conduct and moral obligation rather than merely a religious practice. He said Rajdharma concerns the responsibility of those entrusted with public power and the manner in which it is exercised, with officials expected to serve rather than merely wield authority.

Drawing upon spiritual and Upanishadic traditions, he underlined human dignity, unity and non-discrimination. He stressed that sincerity, honesty, self-restraint and empathy should guide officials, adding that rules, systems and technology cannot substitute for the human qualities that shape citizens’ experience of governance.

Central Provident Fund Commissioner Ramesh Krishnamurthi contextualized the discussion within EPFO’s responsibility for providing social security to millions of workers, pensioners and their families. He emphasized the importance of balancing legal compliance with empathy and citizen-centric service delivery as the organization embraces technological transformation.

Director, PDUNASS, Kumar Rohit highlighted the relevance of Rajdharma to contemporary administration. Referring to the Bharat-Milap episode at Chitrakoot, he recalled how Lord Rama entrusted Bharata with governance through his Charan Padukas and counsel on righteous statecraft. He said governance must sustain the entire social body, leaving no citizen uncared for.