Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Honours Civil Services Toppers, Praises Hard Work and Dedication

On a Saturday morning in the capital, 56 young men and women walked into Mukhyamantri Janseva Sadan — not as petitioners, but as guests of honour. They had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of the toughest tests a person can sit for in this country. And this time, Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta wanted to personally shake their hands.

What made Saturday’s event different from a routine government function was a small but telling detail — the parents were invited too. Mothers who had skipped sleep worrying. Fathers who had quietly stretched their savings. Siblings who had given up the TV remote for years. They were all there, seated alongside their children, watching them receive recognition from the Chief Minister of Delhi

“I want Delhi to produce hundreds of IAS and IPS officers every year. That is the kind of city we want to be.”— CM Rekha Gupta

They Didn’t Do This Alone’

CM Gupta did not stick to a script. She walked up to the achievers one by one, asked them about their preparation, where they were from, how long it took. Some had cleared in their first attempt. Others had taken three, four years. A few had come from modest homes in Delhi’s outer districts — places where clearing UPSC sounds more like a dream than a plan.

“These young people did not just study hard — they held on,” the Chief Minister told the gathering. “There were probably many moments when they wanted to stop. That they didn’t, says everything about who they are.”

She also took time to speak with the parents — thanking them for the sacrifices that rarely show up in any official record but make all the difference. Several families said they were moved by the gesture, something they hadn’t expected from a formal government event.

A First for Delhi’s Government

The ‘Delhi ke Gaurav’ ceremony — organised jointly by the Chief Minister’s office and the Revenue Department — was the first of its kind held by the Delhi Government. In the past, UPSC qualifiers would receive their appointments and move on. There was no formal occasion for the city to say: we see you, we’re proud of you.

Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma and Divisional Commissioner Neeraj Semwal were also present at the event. Their attendance was seen as a signal that this wasn’t just a photo-op — but a deliberate effort by the administration to build a culture of recognising merit and public service.

What the CM Wants Next

Rekha Gupta was candid about what she wants Delhi to become. “We are working to make sure that no student who has the talent and the drive has to stop because of money or access,” she said. The government has been pushing for better coaching support, more free resources, and direct mentorship for UPSC aspirants — particularly those from lower-income families.

She added that the feedback and stories she collected from Saturday’s 56 officers would directly inform the government’s planning. “I want to know what worked and what didn’t — because the next batch of kids from Delhi is already preparing, right now, in small rooms across this city.”

As the ceremony wrapped up and families filed out into the afternoon, there was a quiet but unmistakable feeling in the hall — that something small and important had happened. Not a policy announcement. Not a scheme launch. Just a city, through its Chief Minister, pausing to tell its young people: you matter, and we noticed.