Use your heart when faced with dilemmas in life: Law minister to officers

New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday said officers should "use their heart" when faced with dilemmas in life and called for a deeper sense of constitutional responsibility in public office.

He made these remarks while addressing a five-day training programme for joint secretaries and senior officers of the Department of Legal Affairs.

The training programme marked a significant step in the ongoing capacity-building efforts for senior Indian Legal Service (ILS) officers, particularly those newly inducted or poised to assume the role of a joint secretary or other senior leadership positions.

Reflecting on historical events, such as the Emergency of 1975, Meghwal shared stories to drive home the point that officers should "use their heart" when faced with dilemmas in life, while calling for a deeper sense of constitutional responsibility in public office, according to an official statement.

Law Secretary Anju Rathi Rana described the programme as more than an induction ceremony. It is a moment of professional inflection and institutional renewal, she said.

Referring to the repeal of the three colonial-era criminal laws, Rana highlighted the crucial role that officers at the level of a joint secretary play in interpreting, implementing and giving a meaning to these reforms.

She requested the participants to move beyond the traditional file-bound approaches and embrace a solution-oriented, government-enabling mindset.

"The desk of a joint secretary is not merely a point of file movement, but a crucible where ideas are refined, policies shaped and decisions with far-reaching implications are made," Rana said. PTI SKU RC