CM Dhami Releases 'Seva Vidhi' Book on Govt Service Rules
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami released the book 'Seva Vidhi' authored by former Additional Secretary R.C. Lohani at his official residence on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. The volume compiles service rules, constitutional provisions, government orders, and landmark court judgments relevant to public administration in a simplified format. Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal was also present at the event.
Context
Chief Minister Dhami shared the occasion on X, writing in Hindi: 'शासकीय आवास पर पूर्व अपर सचिव श्री आर.सी. लोहनी जी की पुस्तक 'सेवा विधि' का विमोचन किया' ('Released the book 'Seva Vidhi' by former Additional Secretary R.C. Lohani at the official residence'). He noted that Lohani has made a commendable effort to explain service-related rules, constitutional provisions, government orders, and important court decisions in a simple and systematic manner. The Chief Minister described the work as praiseworthy (सहरानीय).
R.C. Lohani served as an Additional Secretary in the Uttarakhand government before retirement. His book is aimed at helping civil servants navigate the often complex web of administrative law and judicial precedent that governs their day-to-day functioning.
Policy Backdrop
Indian state governments periodically facilitate the publication and dissemination of compilations on service jurisprudence to improve administrative clarity. Such volumes serve as practical reference tools for serving officials who must apply rules ranging from recruitment and promotion to disciplinary proceedings and pension entitlements.
Uttarakhand, a relatively young state carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, has been steadily building its administrative infrastructure and institutional knowledge base. Under Chief Minister Dhami's tenure since March 2021, the state has hosted several knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening bureaucratic functioning and governance quality.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries of 'Seva Vidhi' are Uttarakhand's serving government employees and civil servants who require ready access to service rules and judicial interpretations without having to consult scattered legal texts. For junior officials in particular, such a consolidated reference can reduce procedural errors and improve compliance with constitutional and statutory obligations.
The presence of Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal at the release signals institutional endorsement of the effort beyond a ceremonial gesture. It positions the book as a resource that the state government itself considers useful for its administrative machinery.
What's Next
Events of this nature often precede or accompany broader administrative training programmes, where such compilations are distributed to departmental officers and used as curriculum material. Further state-level initiatives on administrative capacity-building or updates to service rules in Uttarakhand may follow in the coming months. The release also underscores a continuing pattern of retired officials contributing to governance literature, a tradition that helps bridge institutional memory and active administration.