New Delhi, March 14 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee has said the country's civil servants must have the right values, including a spirit of public service and commitment to the ideals and philosophy of the Indian constitution.

Addressing a group of 182 Indian Revenue Service probationary officers, including two from the Bhutan government, at Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday, the president called upon them to use their thoughts, imagination and ideas in the service of the country, a release said on Saturday.

"Civil servants must have the required skill and knowledge as well as right values, which include integrity, spirit of public service and above all, a commitment to the ideals and philosophy embodied in the Constitution of India.

"The higher civil services in the country must be a role model. A bright young officers must rise to the occasion and live up to the faith and trust reposed in them," the president said.

"The quality of public servants is most critical for any governance system. Good public policy is essential but its implementation is even more critical."

Mukherjee recalled his "long association" with the department starting in the early 1970s till 2012 and praised its growth and transformation as an organisation that "cares for the tax payers by providing better quality of tax services".