Central govt officials pause work to recite 1-hour ‘Seva Sankalp’ pledge

All central government officials set aside an hour on Monday, March 2, to gather in groups and recite a three-page resolution adopted by the Union Cabinet during its first meeting at the new Prime Minister’s Office complex, Seva Teerth, last week. The officials were then asked to hold discussions on its contents and implementation.

Called the Seva Sankalp Resolution, the pledge serves as a broad mission statement for the government, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for nation-building and service to India’s 1.4 billion citizens.

All ministries and departments were directed to submit a report to the Cabinet Secretariat by Tuesday detailing how Monday’s exercise was conducted and what emerged from the discussions.

“Ministries/Departments are requested to organize a meeting of officers of their respective ministry/department on 02.03.2026 (Monday), wherein this resolution may be read. Subsequently, discussions may be held on the resolution and methods to implement it,” the Cabinet Secretariat said in a memo sent to all secretaries last week.

While pledge-taking is not uncommon — bureaucrats annually take anti-corruption and vigilance pledges — the Seva Sankalp Resolution is significantly longer than the usual brief declarations. Some officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned whether the mandatory discussion was the best use of time, particularly as ministries such as civil aviation and external affairs were managing the fallout of the war that erupted in West Asia over the weekend. Modi himself convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security soon after returning to New Delhi late Sunday night.

HT reached out to Satendra Singh, additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, who signed the memo, but received no response before publication.

“It was a little awkward because no one was quite sure what we were supposed to do,” said one senior official after participating in the reading and discussion. Another described it as a routine conference-room meeting and declined to elaborate further.

As previously reported by HT, the Cabinet adopted the Seva Sankalp Resolution to “enhance India’s pride as the Mother of Democracy.” The document explains that the relocation from South Block to Seva Teerth is intended to transform the work ethos of government functionaries.

“The concept of Seva Teerth is formed from the confluence of duty, service and dedication,” the resolution states. “With this sacred confluence, the workplace is envisioned to be as sacred as a pilgrimage — this is its fundamental spirit.”