Policy decisions should not counter national interest: Modi

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Asserting that politics should not override policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told young IAS officers that "policy-decisions should not counter national interest and not harm the poorest of the poor".

He also urged the officers to inculcate team spirit and work towards breaking silos in whatever capacity they serve.

As part of their Valedictory Session as assistant secretaries, IAS officers of 2014 batch on Thursday made presentations before the Prime Minister at DRDO Bhawan here.

Eight selected presentations on various themes of governance were made by the officers, on themes such as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Swachh Bharat, e-Courts, tourism, health and satellite applications in governance.

Modi complimented the young officers for their in-depth presentations.

"The attachment of IAS officers as assistant secretaries with the central government had been envisaged as a mechanism that would bring the best out of the blend of youth and experience," said Modi.

Observing that politics should never override policy, Modi urged the officers to use two touchstones to help them in their decision-making — that the decisions should never be counter to national interest and that the decisions should not harm the poorest of the poor.

He said: "The results as presented today (on Thursday), give me satisfaction that this vision is well on the road to realisation."