Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked civil servants to practice effective time management and spend quality time with their families.

Addressing a gathering of bureaucrats on the civil services day, the PM said: "A life full of tension cannot achieve anything, especially when you have to run the nation".

"You guys must have read a lot. You must manage time well. But do you ever spend quality time?" the PM asked.

"If we do not care about life, then the files will remain just like that," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conferred awards for excellence in public administration to civil service officers on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's awards for excellence in public administration for 2012-13 and 2013-14 were given as part of the ninth civil services day celebrations.

The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh. In case of a team, the total award money is Rs 5 lakh subject to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per person.

A two-day programme to mark the civil services day began on Tuesday, which is being organized by the department of administrative reforms and public grievances.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Civil Services Day function here and conferred awards for excellence in public administration on bureaucrats.

Three public administration categories - Individual, Team and Organization - were selected for the prestigious Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration.

The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash prize.

The Prime Minister will also release a book named 'Best Practices - Tomorrow is Here' on the occasion.

PM Modi's address:

    A life which is full of tension cannot be productive specially if you have to run the nation.

    If you wither, then how will the nation blossom?

    Is your life restricted to a page in file?

    On Civil Services Day, I want you to think that despite being at home you are not really present there thinking of files and other work related matters.

    You must manage time well but do you spend quality time with your family?

    Has your life turned robotic? If so, then it will have an affect the government.

    We will not be able to serve people until the ''insaan'' (human) within us remains alive.

    I take the lesson of “Sheelam Param Bhushanam” (character is the highest virtue) with me wherever I go.

    The need of the hour today is socio-economic integration.

    I would like to congratulate all the winners of the awards today.

    The 'ART' of good governance is A- Accountability, R-Responsibility and T-Transparency.

    We need to give priority to perfection and capacity building.