ADDRESS BY THE HON’BLE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SMT. DROUPADI MURMU ON THE OCCASION OF CALL ON BY OFFICER TRAINEES OF THE 76TH BATCH OF INDIAN REVENUE SERVICE (CUSTOMS & INDIRECT TAXES)

 I congratulate you all for your selection in this prestigious service. It is due to your determination, resolve and perseverance that you have reached this position. This service provide you an opportunity to serve our great nation.

It is heartening to note that this batch represents diversity of the country. I am told that you come from different states and from varied academic and professional backgrounds. I am sure this diversity will enrich the service with new ideas and perspectives.

Dear officers,

Collection of revenue is critical for nation-building and your service contributes about half of the Indian Government’s revenue. This is the revenue that funds infrastructure, education, health, and social welfare. You are, therefore, active participants in India’s nation-building process. But, the tax collection should be a smooth process with minimum discomfort to the tax-payer. Please remember what Chanakya had said about tax collection in the Arthashastra - a government should collect taxes like a honeybee, which collects just the right amount of honey from the flower so that both can survive.

The recent Goods and Services Tax reforms introduced in September this year represent a landmark step in reshaping India’s taxation system. These reforms are designed to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship, job creation, and affordable living. These reforms strengthen India’s vision of inclusive growth, sustainability, and empowerment of the next generation.

The Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) plays a pivotal role in connecting India’s new-age economy through a common tax framework and shared administrative ethos. You should ensure that taxation serves as a bridge of trust and fairness, and not as a barrier.

As Revenue Service officer, you will perform multiple roles — as administrators, investigators, facilitators of trade, and enforcers of law. You are the sentinels of India’s economic frontiers, protecting the country against smuggling, financial fraud, and illicit trade, while simultaneously facilitating legitimate commerce and global trade partnerships. Your role demands a delicate balance between enforcement and facilitation; between upholding the law and enabling economic growth.

You must create systems that are transparent, accountable, and technology-driven. Integrity and fairness must remain the cornerstone of your professional conduct. The young officers are expected to be innovative, analytical, and technologically adept. I urge you to embrace data-driven decision-making, automation, and digital governance to make tax administration more efficient and citizen-friendly. You must constantly upgrade your knowledge and adapt to rapid changes in global trade, technology, and economics.

Dear officers,

You are an important part of our ongoing journey toward making India, a developed nation by 2047. You have an integral role to play in realizing the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by providing a stable, fair, and facilitative tax ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurship, compliance, and investment.

I am confident that you will serve with humility and will uphold the highest standards of ethics. Your conduct should embody the spirit of service, and should work to contribute to a more prosperous, equitable, and self-reliant India.

May you serve the nation with pride, compassion, and integrity.

Thank you!
Jai Hind!