New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday addressed a wide range of issues from international trade and language policy to population norms and education reforms during the centenary lecture series of the organisation.
On global trade and relations, Bhagwat said the Sangh would not advise the government on dealing with US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and would fully support the government’s decisions. “International trade is essential and must happen, as it also maintains relations between countries. But it should not be under pressure; friendship cannot thrive under pressure. It should be free, based on mutual consent. We should aim to be aatmanirbhar, yet understand that the world functions on interdependence,” he said. His remarks came a day after the additional 25% tariff imposed by the US on India’s purchase of Russian oil took effect, raising levies to 50%.
Touching upon India’s demographic challenges, the RSS chief said every Indian family should have three children to keep the population “sufficient and under control.” “To keep a civilisation alive, India’s population policy suggests 2.1 (average number of children), which basically means three children. But resources have to be managed too, so we must restrict it to three,” he stated.
On the contentious language debate, Bhagwat maintained that every Indian should know at least three languages their mother tongue, their state language, and one common link language across the country, which, he stressed, “cannot be a foreign one.” He clarified, however, that the RSS is not opposed to English or any other language, saying, “We do not have to become English, but there is no harm in learning English. As a language, it has no ill effects.” He also emphasised that knowledge of Sanskrit is vital to understand India’s traditions and history.
Bhagwat also called for integrating Gurukul education with the mainstream system, clarifying that the traditional model was “not about living in an ashram” but about learning values and heritage alongside modern knowledge. Drawing a comparison with Finland’s education model, he said Gurukul practices should complement rather than replace mainstream education. “Our Gurukul model is similar to the Finnish system, where education up to class eight is conducted in the mother tongue. It must be linked with the mainstream,” he said.
Lauding the new National Education Policy (NEP), Bhagwat argued that India’s earlier education framework was designed by colonial rulers to “govern the country, not develop it.” He called for reforms that instill pride in India’s civilisational heritage, alongside modern skills and technology. “People should be the owners of technology; technology should not become our owners. Education must create good humans, not just repositories of information,” he added.
On Sanskrit, Bhagwat said it should not be imposed, but learning it is essential to access India’s original texts and traditions without depending on faulty translations. “If you want to understand your tradition and know India, knowledge of Sanskrit is very important,” he said.
The wide-ranging remarks underline the RSS chief’s push for cultural rootedness while embracing modernisation, with a recurring emphasis on self-reliance, civilisational pride, and balanced educational reforms.
