Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has voiced strong concerns regarding the increasing inaccessibility and unaffordability of quality healthcare and education for the average person in India. Speaking at a recent event in Indore, Bhagwat lamented the commercialization of these vital sectors, which he said has strayed far from their original spirit of selfless service ('seva'). He emphasized the urgent need for easily accessible, affordable, and compassionate healthcare and education facilities for all citizens.

Bhagwat highlighted that healthcare and education are fundamental needs for individuals and societies worldwide. He pointed out the irony that these essential services are increasingly beyond the reach of the common person. He noted that while hospitals and educational institutions are growing in number, their commercialization has made them inaccessible to many.

The RSS chief recalled a statement he heard from a minister about education in India being a trillion-dollar business, illustrating how business interests have taken precedence over the needs of the common person. He contrasted this with a time when education was the responsibility of teachers who genuinely cared for their students, and doctors would visit the sick without being called, simply fulfilling their duty. Bhagwat stressed that both healthcare and education have increasingly become professions driven by profit.

Bhagwat also drew from a personal experience, recounting how a teacher brought him jungle herbs and ensured his recovery when he had malaria as a child. He emphasized that this spirit of care and responsibility must return to society.

Focusing specifically on healthcare, Bhagwat highlighted the disparities in cancer care, noting that quality treatment is concentrated in only a few cities across India. This forces patients to spend large sums of money to access these facilities. He advocated for personalized treatment approaches, recognizing the limitations of uniformly applying Western medical research due to regional and individual differences. He also stressed the need for healthcare that does not become a source of anxiety for patients.

Bhagwat called for a renewed commitment to low-cost, community-rooted healthcare and education, urging society to reclaim these domains from market logic and restore their role as instruments of collective well-being. He urged capable and resourceful members of society to step up and ensure that good healthcare and education are accessible to all citizens. He also advocated embracing 'dharma' – a concept uniting society – over corporate social responsibility.