National Civil Services Day

 Happy National Civil Services Day

21 April as National Civil Services Day is celebrated since 21st April 2006. 

GG Warren Hastings founded the service for the British East India Company but it was shaped and organised  well by GG Charles Cornwallis (1786), who is considered the Father of Civil Services in India. ICS was introduced for India on the recommendation of Macaulay Committee Report (1854) (recruitment on merit through competitive examinations) and Satyendra Nath Tagore (brother of Rabindranath Tagore) became the first ICS of India. 

The provision of formation of Civil Service Commission in India was made in Govt of India Act 1919, followed by Lee Commission Report in 1924, and the first Public Service Commission was established on 1st October 1926 in Delhi. With the implementation of GOI Act 1935 from the 1st April 1937, it became Federal Public Service Commission. With the proclamation of Constitution of India, it became Union Public Service Commission from 26 January 1950. The UPSC Office at Dholpur House, New Delhi is the Temple of Development for the civil servants in India. 

Whether India is Federal or Union, the answer lies in the journey of the Commission. 

At the time of Independence, there was a demand from the provinces and from the politicians to abolished the AIS, the British heritage of power and exploration, and to leave the recruitment of the civil servants in the hands of the Provinces. But with the insightful intervention of Sardar Patel, he convinced the PM Pt. Nehru and the three civil services (Administrative, Police and Forest) continued with its All India Service status, to be recruited by UPSC and appointed by the President of India. It is to note that there was no dispute or oppose in continuing the Central Services of India existed in 1947. 

On 21 April 1947, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel addressed the first batch of IAS Officers  in Independent India. He referred to civil servants as the 'steel frame of India' in his inspiring speech.

Sardar Patel’s vision for the Civil Servant was “a civil servant can’t afraid to, and must not take part in politics. Nor must be involve himself in communal wrangles….must maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility of administration… the future of civil services depends on foundation and tradition laid down by the civil servants..through their character, abilities and spirit of service. 

Wishing you Happy National Civil Services Day  and Congratulations on becoming a building block of the great Nation of India. 🇮🇳 

Let’s follow the Vision of Sardar Patel in its letter and spirit. 

Punamchand 

21 April 2023

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The Blue Planet is my Heaven

The Blue Planet is my Heaven

NASA and other organisations in the world have spent billions of dollars on space sciences, research, space exploration and in various expeditions to the Moon, the Mars, the Venus, other planets, the Sun and the universe to explore the possibilities of life like the earth in this cosmos. Space telescopes Hubble and now JWST have brought out wonderful and shining pictures of the stars and galaxies. But none has found out a small thorny plant or a bush or a beautiful rose flower or a sign of life on those places till date. 

Hindu religion believes in the theory of rebirth, a cycle of births and deaths and a placement of an individual soul in heaven or hell depending upon his/her actions. Some have codified that those doing yagya, tapa, rituals may only find their place in the heaven as if the rest have to go to the hell. The major religions of Christianity and Islam don’t believe in rebirth, consider this life is the only chance to write examination in the examination hall of the Earth and based on individual’s performance the soul/spirit will get heaven or hell depending upon the judgement of the almighty on the day of judgement or kayamat. Does it mean that the non believers go to the hell? 

The human world believed in one life and was enjoying it within their strengths before Indian yogis brought the concept of immortality (अमृतं). The direction of purpose of life changed. We want to become immortal. It has changed the purpose of life on earth. 

Human brains have been exposed to so many things in 21st century with the inventions, discovering and knowledge generated by human brains, which is available free to all of us as a matter of right to knowledge. We must use them but simultaneously, can’t we explore the immortality? 

We are in one of the nicest places in the entire cosmos. This life is very very valuable. Earth has been given to us as the birthday gift by the almighty without any label. Do whatever we can, explore the life on earth instead of living in depression or in the state of hallucinations. 

The past can’t be changed, future is unknown, present is in our hand. Live in the present moment and use it at the best. The blue planet is our heaven. We don’t know the time line of our Visa, a call may come anytime to shut down. Therefore, not to miss a single moment of life without using it for the right purpose. 

Knowing the Self, the अखंड ज्योति, and use the life for the betterment of all may be the right purpose of life on earth. 

अंतरज्योतिर्बहिर्ज्योतिः प्रत्यक्षज्योतिः परात्परः 

ज्योतिर्ज्योतिः स्वयंज्योतिः आत्मज्योतिः शिवोस्म्याहम्॥

(~ मैं शुभ, आंतरिक प्रकाश और बाहरी प्रकाश, अन्तर्निहित प्रकाश, उच्चतम से भी ऊँचा, सभी प्रकाशों का प्रकाश, स्वयं-प्रकाशमान, वह प्रकाश हूँ जो आत्मा है।) (I am the auspicious one, the inner light, the outer light, the indwelling light higher than the highest, the light of the lights. I am self illuminated enlightened benevolent Shiva).

Stay blessed. 

Punamchand 

11 April 2023

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Spandakarika - Exploration of the Self

Spandkarika-8

Exploration of the Self

Exploration of “the Self” or to enjoy the bhoga of objects through the senses is a choice. Both can also be possible if the state of स्वस्थ is achieved. धर्म, अर्थ, काम, मोक्ष is a Hindu way of life to pass the 100 years of human life peacefully. But while doing Godly Gossips, if one reaches to the Mars (self) as astronaut, it should be the major purpose of life. Before the light (of life) goes off from this body, we shall recognise our true form. 

Where can we hide ourselves? Try the game of छुपा छुपी (સંતાકૂકડી) played by children everyday and try to hide ourselves in any corner or the darkest place of the house/earth. We can’t hide ourselves, the Prakash, the Bodha, the Shiva, the Self, always chases us in नित्योदित state, doesn’t leave, never gets off. We may hide ourselves from other objects and persons, but can’t hide ourselves from our illuminated self, the Shankara. Whether with eyes are closed or opened, if we have leaned to see the Shiva (36) moving in different forms around us including ourselves, the true vision opens up as the third eye. 

There is no desha, no kala in the state of Shiva, but a human with physical body has time line of life years, therefore, before its switch board gets off, let the self illuminate in the state of known. Let the बिंब be recognised by the प्रतिबिंब. 

All विमर्शन is of Him only, therefore, let us remember Him in our daily routine. To start with, “the first bite of anything we eat and the first sip anything we drink shouldn’t go down to our throat without taking the name of God”. One may call him Shiva, Rama, Allah, Father, whatever; remembrance is important, not the name. 

However, the Sanskrit Acharya may say that each Varna in a name carries the power of one of the eight Matrikas, therefore it carries positive or negative energies depending upon pronouncing. But any name if taken with positivity, it turns into positive energy. After all we shall be remembering him in the state of मध्यमा and with practice will go further deep into the state of पश्यन्ति and परा. The destination is the Self, the Shiva. 

यस्त स्थितमिदं सर्वं कार्य यस्माच्च निर्गतम्। 

तस्यानावृतरूपत्वान्न निरोधोડस्ति कुत्रचित्॥ (SK.2)

[जिस शंकर (स्पन्द-विमर्श-बहिर्मुख भूमिका) में सारा जगत (कार्य/प्रमेय) अभेद रूप से अवस्थित है, उस सत्ता के स्वरूप को कोई आवरण ढांप नहीं सकता। उसके स्वतंत्र प्रसार में कोई रूकावट नही।]

हे शंकर, क्या आपके स्वतंत्र प्रसार में कोई रूकावट है? कहाँ बंधे हो? जागो शंकर जागो। भोले बनो। 😊

🕉️नमः शिवाय। 

Punamchand 

8 April 2023

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