A letter from a father to his daughter.

My Dearest Daughter Rumki,

It's heartening to find you having entered a new phase in your life. This phase starts when a student after completing his formal studies makes a debut in government service.

Only a few days ago you were just a university student having no knowledge of job or service to say. 

But that doesn't mean that it will be a huddle as far as one is receptive to learning and deal with common sense the nitty-gritty of the new situation.

                     Now when you have joined as an officer in the state government I feel it's my duty as your father beside being myself in the government service to tell you something about what it stands to mean to those who belong to it as well as to the people who are meant to be served.

First; I must tell you that you are one of the fortunate aspirants who got this service after clearing in the very first attempt the state public service commission examination wherein lakhs of people appear only to be selected in the number that is hardly a few hundreds.

 So the prestige associated with this achievement need not be explained. 

What as of now needs to be explained are the challenges and responsibility associated with the government service that you have newly entered into.

At this stage I want to clarify that a 'service' is different from 'Job'. While being a government servant we ‘serve’ the people while those in the private sector do their pre-defined work called ‘job’. 

Government services are meant to serve people and for that reason we have to meet their expectations and bear their criticism too. 

The challenges are many:

But hard work and best intentions reduce all challenges to non-entity.

Job knowledge gives rise to confidence.

While everyone has has own style of doing work; you will have to devise your own. 

       Despite having sufficient job knowledge and competence I chose to maintain a low profile in my service because it provides me comfort. 

But that doesn't mean you should follow my suit. But one thing you should hold close to your chest and that's -There is no substitute for hard work. 

Though some prefer smart work to hard work; I believed in the latter. It's because "smart" work is mostly misconstrued by many to be followed in terms of tricks and tactics which I don't like.

 But that's is my perception, you explore your own methods of doing your work. 

There's no one best way.

1.You may have to work in a set-up that may have nothing in the name of office or facilities or amenities notwithstanding you would be required to perform to your best.

 In many cases you may not even have your office or chamber or vehicle to use even for your proper discharge of duty.

 Occasions may arise that the onus of establishing the office (that may be hitherto practically non-existent) itself will be imposed upon your shoulders by your seniors or controlling officers.

 In that case you may have the opportunity to prove your talent,skills,competence and confidence. I hold reasons that when responsibility comes,one's skill, knowledge, experience,interpersonal competence etc. are put to the test.

Responsibility provides opportunities to respond in the best way one can.

 It's a general experience that when challenges are faced with skill, knowledge and competence it gives a pleasure of indescribable character.

Hence, militating situation, whenever arises, should not discourage you from your duty and you will have to learn how to perform amidst these challenges by your honesty, integrity, perseverance with confidence,patience with compassion, competence with humility which a good officer must have in their quiver. 

I also believe that these huddles slowly disappear when you focus only on the work that you are supposed to do.

2. Throughout your journey of serving the single thing you should always keep in your mind is 'humility' in genuine sense, not to be used as a ruse. It will always keep you in good stead. 

Be particular in talking to your staff with humility and politeness.  It saves the situation from degeneration. If you expect that your staff should come to the office on time it will be nothing short of hypocrisy if you reach your office late. 

You must be mindful of the fact that all officers, staffs etc. are at first human beings. 

So never be tempted to treat anyone in a way that hurts them by the use of abusive, foul or harsh language that you may find many in the responsible positions frequently using it without slightest the compunction. 

It's simply a misuse of authority and speaks volumes about the upbringing of those who resort to it towards establishing their authority. 

Moreover; it backfires in many cases in many ways.

3. No matter how much knowledge or competence a government servant may have he must genuinely respect his seniors and the controlling officers even though the latter appears not so or unfavorable to him in more ways than one. 

Respect and honor are the rights of your Boss or the controlling officers; likewise obedience and submissive behavior is the least that is expected from the juniors.

 Unfortunately, generally speaking, respect and honor to seniors is fastly decreasing among juniors. Somehow they begin to feel that they have come into the service with updated knowledge and the seniors are more or less outdated in terms of knowledge, skill etc. 

While they may be somewhat correct but mostly this perception is a wrong notion and deterrent to the growth of juniors in service.

Bitter words used by seniors if any should be let go with patience.  Later you may find the same boss internally realizing that he did wrong with his subordinates or juniors.

4. The less you speak the more you will be heard; not only by your juniors and staff but your boss also. 

If such speaking is based on study of files and field observation the same will not only be heard but heeded too with attention.

You boss will start heeding to your words. Whatever you speak in public domain it must be supported by proper facts and their impartial analysis with confidence coated with humility.

5. While heeding to what has been said above, if unwarranted criticism from your boss, colleagues or juniors is made about your work, welcome the same with patience without giving instantaneous reaction to the same.

 Responding to those criticisms in terms of better performance is the best way to reply to such criticism. 

Ultimately it's your work that counts since you know very well that “Actions speak louder than words”.

6. Sometimes your colleagues may like to see you fail in the work you are assigned to do. But then  taking cognizance of the same you should begin to do that with double afford and determination.

   7. Occasions may also arise sometimes when your boss too would seem unsupporting or unfavorable to you by way of imposing unethical pressure of sorts showing fear of actions but that is the appropriate time when one can put one's qualities,both inborn and acquired to test following the path of humility but never swerving from the path of honesty & integrity.

As you should also know government service to many happens to mean the source of earning money other than one’s salary by tactics of sorts that include delaying the file deliberately, looking for opportunity getting cut-money or commission in payment of money etc. For government service means doing less work and making money out of the position one happens to hold. This tendency soon earns disrespect and contempt.

I have reason to believe you will not allow yourself to tread on that path even being tempted or pressurized.

As far as I have felt, I don't hesitate to say that many who are in government service use their position to make money out of it under the garb of serving people. 

For that you may find many of your colleagues doing sycophancy of sorts to gain favor of their seniors or controlling officers. 

But that should not perturb you. Always bear in mind the maxim --जो प्राप्त है, पर्याप्त है.

I have written all this stuff not to dishearten you or impose any sort of fear about the government service.

 In fact the government service is quite fulfilling if your attitude is to ''give'' something without taking anything in return from anyone save his blessings (that too is optional; not your right) through the position you hold. 

It goes a long way towards mitigating the plight, difficulty or pain writ large on the face of the people who comes to you for his work.

What I intend to say is that knowing the challenges in advance will enable you to deal with the same.

Always remember the almighty and start any work with uttering ॐ नमः सिद्धम्. 

God will always remain with you;it's my blessing. 

Everything will be taken care of by Him with faith reposed upon Him and making the conscience always clean.

Soar High;

Yours sincerely, 

Rajeev Ranjan Prabhakar.

29.06.2024.