On August 10, 2025, during a speech in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat expressed deep concern about the increasing commercialisation of education and health services. This is not the first time that the head of the RSS has commented on this issue, urging his own swayamsevaks to reflect on the matter.
This report is based on a compilation of seven key resolutions on the subjects of education and health, passed by the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha/Karyakari Mandal of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from 1978 to 2016.
ABPS resolution: Accessible, affordable, and quality education for all
Session: March, 2016 Location: Nagaur, Rajasthan
Resolution: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha believes that education is a vital tool for the development of any nation and society. It is the shared responsibility of both the government and society to nurture, promote, and protect it. Education serves as a means to cultivate the inherent qualities and potential within a student, fostering their comprehensive personality development. In a welfare state, it is the government’s primary duty to ensure that every citizen has access to food, clothing, shelter, and employment, alongside education and healthcare.
The ABPS is of the opinion that every child should receive value-based, nationalistic, employment-oriented, and skill-based education in an environment of equal opportunity. To improve the standard of teachers in both government and private schools, it is essential to ensure proper training, appropriate salaries, and to reinforce their sense of duty.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha urges the central and state governments, as well as local bodies, to ensure the availability of necessary resources and legal frameworks to provide accessible and quality education for all. The resolution also appeals to society to actively participate in this sacred work, especially in rural, tribal, and underdeveloped areas, in order to build a capable, competent, and enlightened society that can play a significant role in the nation’s development and progress.
ABPS resolution: Mother tongue as a medium of instruction
Session: March 2015 Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra
Resolution: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) is aware of the benefits of learning multiple languages, but it firmly believes that for social and cultural development, education-especially primary education, must be imparted in the mother tongue or a constitutionally recognised regional language.
Language is not just a medium of communication; it is also a carrier of culture and values. Bharat is a multilingual country, and all Indian languages equally express our national and cultural identity. While being multilingual is a virtue, education in the mother tongue is essential for an individual’s holistic development from a psychological perspective. A person educated in their mother tongue can also easily learn other languages. While a person educated in a foreign language may gain knowledge, they are disconnected from their family, traditions, culture, and life values. They lose their identity by being unaware of the knowledge, customs, and literature passed down from their ancestors.
Renowned thinkers like Madan Mohan Malaviya, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, along with scientists like C.V. Raman and Jagdish Chandra Bose, and several prominent educationists and psychologists, have all advocated for the mother tongue as the best medium for education. Education commissions, such as the Radhakrishnan Commission and the Kothari Commission, have also recommended education in the mother tongue. Recognising the importance of the mother tongue, the United Nations has also decided to observe February 21 as Mother Language Day across the world.
The Pratinidhi Sabha calls upon all citizens, including the swayamsevaks, to play an effective role in promoting the mother tongue in education, science, and daily life to ensure the comprehensive development, national unity, and pride of Bharat. The role of the family in this matter is crucial. Parents should make a firm resolution to provide their children with primary education in their own language.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha also urges the central and state governments to review their current language policies and create a system to ensure that primary education is provided in the mother tongue or a constitutionally recognised regional language. It also calls on them to take a concrete step towards making administration and higher education available in Indian languages.
ABPS resolution: Education should be rooted in national identity
Session: 2008
Resolution: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha holds the view that language is a crucial element of an individual’s and society’s identity, as well as a living medium of its culture. The various languages and dialects prevalent in the country are essential not only for preserving our culture, ancient traditions, and rich literature but also for intellectual and creative expression. Besides the written literature, a significant part of our heritage exists in the form of oral traditions like folk songs, proverbs, and folk tales.
However, the ABPS notes with concern that textbooks have adopted a curriculum that insults and neglects the national cultural heritage, rather than instilling pride and respect for it. Examples of this include inappropriate comments against revered national figures and various communities in NCERT textbooks, which the current government has tried to remove. The resolution also points to the obscene and insulting remarks against Hindu gods like Prabhu Shri Ram, Hanuman, and Lakshman in books taught at Indira Gandhi National Open University, and the portrayal of these ideal personalities as flawed characters in university textbooks. The Pratinidhi Sabha expresses its deep concern over these distortions and the malicious mindset behind them, which aim to sow distrust in national icons.
The ABPS appreciates the role played by the “Education Save Movement” (Shiksha Bachao Andolan) in forcing the government to reverse its stance on these issues through a combination of legal battles and widespread public awareness. The resolution also expresses satisfaction that the Allahabad High Court has ordered the removal of all 75 objectionable remarks from NCERT textbooks.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha urges the country’s educationists, teachers, policymakers, all state governments, and the central government to take serious steps to address this issue. It calls for the creation of an education system that nurtures a new generation imbued with a sense of self-discipline and national pride, which will lead the nation to the pinnacle of all-round development.
ABPS resolution: Condemning the central government’s neglect of Sanskrit
Session: 1989
Resolution: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) expresses grave concern and strong opposition to the central government’s new education policy, which excludes the study of Sanskrit from the curriculum of secondary schools. This policy also restricts the study of Sanskrit as an optional subject. The inevitable consequence of this policy will be a decline in the number of students studying Sanskrit at the university level, even where facilities are available. This will naturally impact the study and research of Sanskrit at higher levels, hindering its development.
The Sanskrit language is our most fundamental cultural heritage, and its literature is a priceless treasure of knowledge, both philosophical and scientific. It is the foundation of our national unity. Sanskrit is not only the mother of all Indian languages but also the mother of many other languages around the world. Modern linguists consider it the most scientific language and have accepted it as the most suitable language for programming computers. Therefore, it is deeply unfortunate that a supposedly nationalist government has dealt such a severe blow to Sanskrit, a blow it never received even during foreign rule.
The ABPS is of the considered opinion that depriving the younger generation of the opportunity to study Sanskrit is equivalent to depriving them of the invaluable knowledge of our ancient wisdom and traditions. This will harm our national character. The public outrage against the government’s policy has been clearly expressed through numerous Sanskrit conferences and movements across the country. The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha wholeheartedly supports these efforts by Sanskrit scholars.
The Pratinidhi Sabha urges the government to immediately amend its education policy and make Sanskrit a compulsory subject in secondary schools throughout the country. The Sabha also urges its swayamsevaks to create effective public opinion to compel the government to do so.
ABPS resolution: Re-evaluation of national history
Session: 1982
Resolution: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha believes that any nationalist would be naturally disturbed after reading the guidelines for history textbooks issued by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the National Council of Teachers.
The guideline to avoid categorising Bharat’s history into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods is acceptable. This is because a single stream of national life has been flowing in this country since ancient times, a stream that has seen periods of both ascent and decline. However, other guidelines, which suggest not treating foreign invaders who settled in Bharat as outsiders (even if they never assimilated with the local way of life) and not referring to any historical period as a “glorious age”,-call into question the very purpose of history.
A nation’s history is not merely a record of the rise and fall of its rulers and their conflicts. It is also a chronicle of the aspirations, courage, achievements, and sacrifices of its people. Simultaneously, it also recounts its mistakes, defeats, weaknesses, and inconsistencies.
The clearer and more explicit our history, the more accurately we can perceive ourselves within it. A healthy sense of pride in our good qualities and a feeling of shame for our mistakes can guide us toward building a
bright future and prevent us from repeating past errors.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha firmly believes that twisting facts in an attempt to please one group or another is a mockery of history. It also argues that such a compromised approach, far from fostering national unity, actually promotes separatism. The hidden agenda of appeasement is never beneficial. The deliberate distortions in history textbooks during British rule are now manifesting in various conflicts we face today.
Instead of correcting these inconsistencies, attempts are being made to create new ones with the same appeasement-driven agenda. The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha condemns this and urges the government to refrain from such interference in the writing of history. It requests that this task be left to scholars dedicated to discovering historical facts. The ABPS also appeals to the government to ensure that history is not tampered with. It urges everyone to develop a perspective that allows us to learn only those lessons from history that promote national unity.
ABPS resolution: Adult education
Session: 1978
Resolution: The central government has formulated a comprehensive plan to educate 100 million illiterate individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 over the next five years. The government has sought cooperation from social organisations for this work and has invited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Following an invitation from the Education Minister, Shri Pratap Chandra Chunder, the RSS’s Joint General Secretary, Shri Bhaurao Deoras, and Shri Rajendra Singh attended the meeting. They assured the government of the Sangh’s active cooperation in this effort to eradicate illiteracy from Bharat. The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha welcomes this government initiative and urges all swayamsevaks and citizens to actively support this work at all levels to ensure its success.
ABPS resolution: The need for accessible and affordable healthcare
Session: 2016
Resolution: To ensure that all citizens of Bharat live long and healthy lives, it is essential that they have access to a dignified lifestyle and affordable healthcare. Today, while lifestyle diseases are increasing rapidly, healthcare services have become so expensive that they are out of reach for the average citizen. As a result, many families are falling into debt, and the working members of families are struggling to afford treatment, making life difficult for a large number of households. The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha expresses deep concern over this situation.
Due to the concentration of healthcare services in large cities, there is a severe shortage of these services in Bharat’s towns and rural areas. The scarcity of healthcare professionals at all levels and the long waiting lists for appointments, tests, and treatments are causing a large number of people to be deprived of healthcare. The rising cost of medical education is also a major factor contributing to the expensive and often unreliable healthcare services in the country. All citizens, including women and children, should have access to high-quality healthcare at an affordable cost. For this to happen, it is essential to expand the reach of all types of healthcare services, including those from various systems of medicine, throughout the country, especially in rural and tribal areas. The effective use of information technology should also be made to improve diagnostics and specialised consultations.
The RSS resolutions on education and health, passed between 1978 and 2016, reveal a consistent focus on preserving and promoting Bharat’s cultural and national identity. The resolutions emphasise that education should be value-based, nationalistic, and imparted in the mother tongue, while also calling for the protection of languages like Sanskrit. Furthermore, the organisation has consistently advocated for a more ethical approach to education and healthcare, condemning their increasing commercialisation. These resolutions collectively underscore the RSS’s belief that a strong nation is built upon a foundation of cultural pride, accessible social services, and a commitment to indigenous traditions.
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