India, May 21 -- Asserting that refraining from making a decision does not constitute morality, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said a delay in administrative decision-making is tantamount to depriving people of their legitimate interests.

Addressing Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the 2024 batch, who had called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said that ethics and governance are the two sides of the same coin.

"You have to be honest and ethical. At the same time, you have to deliver results. IAS officers are expected to exercise the powers delegated to them," she said.

The President said that refraining from making a decision does not constitute morality.

"Rather, making the right decisions in a...