It is, indeed, my proud privilege to welcome His Excellency, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalamji, the President of India, to this Conference. Your Excellency, the entire gathering of distinguished police officers from all over the country, who have assembled here for the Conference, join me in welcoming you. We are greatly honoured by your gracious presence and are grateful to you for having spared your valuable time to deliver the Inaugural Address today.

          I also take this opportunity to welcome Heads of Anticorruption Bureaus of States and all the delegates who have come from all over the country, to participate in the conference. I also welcome all the distinguished guests who have made it convenient to be present at the inaugural function of this conference.

          Central Bureau of Investigation hosts this conference once in every two years. It provides a unique forum for all the agencies and officers engaged in anti-corruption and vigilance work to share their experiences and discuss their problems in tackling corruption. Such initiatives are part of the efforts of the CBI to spearhead a concerted and nationally coordinated effort against corruption.

          Corruption in our country continues to be a problematic area, ongoing efforts of agencies like CBI notwithstanding. In fact, a strategy for combating corruption to be effective has to take a holistic approach to address various aspects of the problem and not merely view corruption as a law enforcement problem.

          While we have to continue to tackle the individual cases of corruption, we also have to strive to create a value system and work culture which will strike at the root of this problem. Good and ethical governance practices in exercise of administrative, political and managerial authority have to be adopted. We must remember that transparency, accountability, equity and equal opportunity are benchmarks of good governance practices.

          Our government has embarked on an irreversible path of wide ranging political, administrative and economic reforms. The focus of such reforms has been to provide accountable and transparent administration and to put in place a mechanism to promote free competition and efficiency in the allocation of economic resources through deregulation and dismantling of obstructive and redundant control regimes.

          These reforms have already started showing good results. Incidence of corruption has reduced to some extent in certain sectors where transparency and free competition has been introduced and discretionary powers curtailed. The entire financial sector including banks and financial institutions, taxation departments and many PSUs have been major beneficiaries of these reforms. Introduction of modern technologies, including e-governance, have also reduced opportunities for rent seeking.

          While such reforms are taken to their logical end, let me remind you that the role of anti-corruption agencies like the CBI has not diminished. Ironical as it may appear advancements in technology and the reform process has spawned a whole new range of criminal action. New threats and new challenges call for redefining of strategies and methodologies. Continuous up-gradation of investigative methods, tools and technologies is an absolute necessity. I am sure that you will continue to make efforts to upgrade your skills, adopt new technology and inculcate modern ideas.

          I have always believed that one can succeed in one’s endeavours only by moving steadfastedly on the path of righteousness. You have to set an example before others by showing the highest degree of rectitude, correctness and straightforwardness in your conduct. You have to learn this from the best teachers amongst yourself and outside as advised in the following verse of Kathopanishad

             

          Translated in English, it means
          Get up, wake up, learn from the best teachers. Wise men have said that the path of life is like the razor’s edge.

          I am glad that we have one such personality in our midst - His Excellency, the President. His life of perseverance and rectitude is an example for all of us to emulate.

          We, in the Government are sensitive to the onerous nature of your task. The Department of Personnel and Training has been constantly striving to bring all round improvement in the CBI. Last year, I had stated in a gathering of CBI officers that the Government would sympathetically consider grant of a special allowance to CBI officers and I am happy that the Government has since granted a Special Allowance to all ranks of investigating and supervisory officers of CBI. The State Governments would be well advised to emulate our example in regard to officers working in anti-corruption bureaus. I assure you of continued support of Ministry of Personnel in the fight against corruption.

          Before I conclude, I once again, express my heart-felt gratitude to His Excellency, the President of India for having spared his valuable time to address this congregation.

Thank you.