New Delhi: The Union ministry of culture has spent Rs 7,613,129 on advertisements in multiple print media outlets to commemorate the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This information was made public through a Right to Information (RTI) request.In an application filed under the Right to Information Act, 2005, by Ajay Basudev Bose, a resident of Amravati, Maharashtra, the ministry was asked to disclose the total expenditure incurred on advertisements in different print media outlets on the occasion of the RSS centenary. This request was addressed on April 13, 2026, by Pappunjay Kumar, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Ministry of Culture.The response also said that the cost was directly borne by the ministry of culture.This figure pertains solely to the expenditure incurred on advertisements placed in print media, and is not the overall expense of organising the RSS’s centenary celebration event. This event was organised by the ministry of culture on October 1, 2025, and was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The RSS was founded in Nagpur on September 27, 1925, and completed its 100th year in 2025. The organisation describes itself as an advocate of cultural nationalism, whereas critics point out that its Hindutva ideology has promoted the idea of India as a Hindu nation.On the RSS centenary, a variety of programmes, events and publicity campaigns were organised nationwide. However, it has recently come to light that a ministry of the Union government also contributed financially to the promotion and dissemination of these activities.How did the ministry of culture respond?To elicit the government’s position on this matter, a few questions were sent to M. Annadurai, Additional Director General (Media & Communication) at the ministry of culture. These were:Does the ministry of culture have a clear policy or set of guidelines regarding the expenditure of public funds for the promotion of programs organised by any ideological or non-governmental organisation?At what level was the decision to issue advertisements for the RSS’s centenary program taken?What criteria were used to determine the decision to issue advertisements for the RSS?Have similar government advertisements been issued for the programs of other social, cultural or religious organisations in previous years? If so, what are the details?Does the ministry consider the expenditure of public funds on the promotion of an organisation affiliated with a specific ideology to be consistent with the principle of state neutrality?Did this decision involve any specific directives or approval at the ministerial level?Responses to these questions were not received via email. However, the ministry’s secretary, Vivek Agarwal, spoke to The Wire over the phone. He revealed that decisions regarding such programmes are made by a committee headed by the Union home minister and the ministry of culture officially executes them.He explained that, under a designated procedure, the ministry observes the anniversaries of significant historical events, institutions and figures:The ministry of culture administers a specific programme titled ‘Centenaries and Anniversaries.’ Under this programme, we observe the centenaries or anniversaries of individuals, institutions and events that have been designated as such by the National Implementation Committee (NIC). This committee is chaired by the Home Minister of India.Regarding the RSS centenary celebrations and the associated advertisements, the secretary stated:The commemoration of the RSS’s centenary was also part of a larger centenary celebration series, which was officially observed by the ministry of culture following approval from the NIC. Whenever we organise such a commemorative event, advertisements are issued; additionally, commemorative coins and postage stamps are also released.To mark the completion of 100 years of the RSS, a commemorative coin and a postage stamp were released by the Prime Minister, and advertisements were also placed in newspapers across the country. This is a standard procedure adopted for all centenary celebrations. It constitutes a part of the Ministry’s official functions, the officer said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative items on the centenary of the RSS on October 1, 2025. Photo: PIB.Agarwal said that the RSS event was part of a formal official program of the ministry of culture, and that is why the information sought under the RTI Act was provided. He also cited examples of other such events.He said, “We organised a ceremony to mark the completion of 100 years of the institution founded by Jain Muni Swami Vigyananand. Additionally, the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ and the birth centenary of Sardar Patel were also celebrated. As per the guidelines, the commemoration of the 25th, 50th, 75th, or any year in multiples of 25 – pertaining to an individual or an institution – may be celebrated with the approval of the NIC. You can view such a list on the ministry’s website. This includes the commemoration of 1,000 years since the attack on Somnath, 350 years since the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur and events associated with Ahilyabai Holkar.”The culture minister and the RSSIn this context, it is important to discuss the background of the current culture minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat commenced his political journey in 1992 when he was elected as the President of the Students’ Union at Jai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur, representing the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) – the student wing of the RSS.In the following years, his involvement with organisations and activities associated with the RSS continued. He was a member of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an RSS-affiliated body, and also remained active in the Sangh’s Seema Jan Kalyan Samiti. The stated objective of this organisation is to establish a ‘secondary line of civil defence’ along the country’s international border.While participating in the RSS centenary celebrations in October 2025, Shekhawat described the RSS as a “formidable school of nation-building,” and said that the organisation has infused the country with new energy and direction. In his speech, Shekhawat lavishly praised the Sangh.‘This is not a violation of any law, but…’The issue regarding the culture ministry’s expenditure on advertisements for the RSS centenary becomes particularly significant because the Constitution of India enshrines the country as a secular state, and the government is expected not to favour any specific ideology or organisation.However, speaking to The Wire Hindi, Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde observed, “Questions regarding such matters certainly ought to be raised; yet, the culture mnistry routinely allocates funds for various such programmes – including qawwali festivals. The ideological orientation of the culture ministry is not secular. Furthermore, there is no specific constitutional provision that explicitly prohibits the utilisation of taxpayers’ money for any such purpose.”Nevertheless, Hegde underscored the historical precedent wherein state resources have traditionally been kept distinct from political or communal events. He cited an example. “When the Congress was in power – and the party marked its centenary – was government funding utilised for those celebrations? No, these matters were always kept separate,” he said.Hegde said that even if the expenditure on the RSS centenary did not violate any law, it raises serious questions regarding the fairness of governance and the neutrality of the state. Therefore, clear legislation should be enacted to address such situations in the future.This article was originally published in The Wire Hindi and has been translated by Naushin Rehman.