New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as Chief Guest on 1st October 2025 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, at 10:30 AM, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
On this occasion, he will release a specially designed commemorative postage stamp and coin recognizing the RSS’s contributions to the nation and will address the gathering.
In his recent Mann Ki Baat address, PM Modi praised the RSS for its “unprecedented and inspiring” journey as the organisation marks 100 years on Vijayadashami. He said, “This Vijayadashami is very special for another reason. It marks a century since the foundation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh—an amazing, unprecedented, and inspiring journey.”
Recalling his earlier association with the RSS, the Prime Minister noted that the organisation was founded during a time of identity crisis in India, prior to Independence. “100 years ago, when the RSS was established, the country was bound in centuries of slavery that had wounded our self-respect and confidence. Our ancient civilisation was facing an identity crisis, and citizens were struggling with an inferiority complex,” he said.
He added, “The revered Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS on Vijayadashami in 1925. After Hedgewar ji’s passing, Guruji carried forward this great mission of serving the nation.”
PM Modi lauded the RSS for its teachings, disaster relief work, and its “nation first” approach, extending his best wishes for the centenary celebrations.
Founded in 1925 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, by Dr. Hedgewar, the RSS began as a volunteer-based organisation aimed at promoting cultural awareness, discipline, social responsibility, and service among citizens. The Sangh is seen as a people-driven movement for national reconstruction, responding to centuries of foreign rule while inspiring pride in India’s cultural heritage rooted in Dharma.
Patriotism and national character formation remain central to the RSS’s philosophy. It seeks to instill devotion to the motherland, discipline, self-restraint, courage, and heroism, with the ultimate goal of “Sarvangeena Unnati” (all-round development) of India.
Over the past century, the RSS has played a significant role in education, health, social welfare, and disaster relief. Its volunteers have actively contributed during floods, earthquakes, and cyclones, while affiliated organisations have worked to empower youth, women, and farmers, promote civic participation, and strengthen local communities.
The centenary celebrations honor both the historical legacy and the ongoing contributions of the RSS to India’s cultural journey, national unity, and social development.
