The National Civil Services Day is celebrated every year on April 21, when civil servants rededicate themselves to cause of the citizens and renew their commitment to public service. This day coincides with the date on which Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel had addressed the first batch of probationers at All India Administrative Service Training School at Metcalfe House, New Delhi in 1947. In this famous speech, Sardar Patel had referred to bureaucrats as “steel frame of India”.
On this day, the ‘Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration’ is presented in three categories. These awards were instituted in 2006. The awards have been instituted with view to acknowledge, recognise and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by officers of Central and State Governments towards welfare of common citizen.