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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........

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