CM Rekha Gupta at Nanaji Deshmukh birth anniversary lecture
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta spoke at the 13th Nanaji Smriti Vyakhyan alongside former President Ramnath Kovind, arguing that Nanaji Deshmukh's philosophy of village self-reliance and Antyodaya remains the intellectual foundation of India's Viksit Bharat development goal.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta participated in the 13th Nanaji Smriti Vyakhyan on 11 October 2026 , organised by the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan on Nanaji Deshmukh's birth anniversary.
Former President Ramnath Kovind was also present at the event.
The lecture's theme was village self-reliance as the path to a developed India — rooted in Nanaji's philosophy of Ekatma Manav Darshan and Antyodaya .
Jat , Director General of ICAR, attended, signalling a focus on practical agricultural dimensions of rural development.
CM Gupta linked Nanaji's rural vision directly to PM Narendra Modi 's ongoing Viksit Bharat agenda.
Deendayal Shodh Sansthan chairman Dr.
Purnendu Saxena and principal secretary Nikhil Mundale were among other dignitaries present.
On the birth anniversary of social thinker and Bharata Ratna awardee Nanaji Deshmukh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined former President Ramnath Kovind at the 13th Nanaji Smriti Vyakhyan — an annual lecture series organised by the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan — to reflect on the enduring idea of village self-reliance as the bedrock of a strong nation.
A vision centred on the self-reliant village
CM Gupta addressed the gathering on the theme 'Gram Swavalamban se Viksit Bharat: Samgra Gram Vikas ki Nanaji ki Drishti' — broadly, 'From Village Self-Reliance to a Developed India: Nanaji's Vision of Holistic Rural Development'. She described Nanaji Deshmukh's life as 'an inspiring example of national service, dedication, and social transformation,' rooted in the twin philosophies of Ekatma Manav Darshan (Integral Humanism) and Antyodaya (upliftment of the last person in the queue). His belief, she argued, was unambiguous: an autonomous village, an awakened society, and an organised people's force are the only true foundations of a powerful nation.
Kovind, ICAR chief, and Shodh Sansthan leadership on the dais
The event brought together a notable cross-section of public life. Former President Ramnath Kovind was the prominent guest alongside CM Gupta. Also present were Dr. Purnendu Saxena, chairman of the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan; Dr. M. L. Jat, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); and the Sansthan's principal secretary Shri Nikhil Mundale. The presence of the ICAR chief underscored the lecture's practical agricultural and rural-development dimension, not merely its philosophical one.
Nanaji's thought and the 'Viksit Bharat' promise
CM Gupta drew a direct line between Nanaji Deshmukh's mid-twentieth-century rural experiments and the current government's Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She framed Modi's development agenda as an extension of the same swadeshi thinking, Antyodaya spirit, and 'Nation First' ethic that Nanaji practised on the ground in districts across central India. The argument: the philosophical DNA has not changed — only the scale of ambition has.
Point of View
Nanaji's grassroots experiments, and the current government's Viksit Bharat framework. For CM Rekha Gupta, the appearance is both ideological positioning and governance branding: associating Delhi's administration with a philosophy of bottom-up rural empowerment. The attendance of ICAR's chief adds a technocratic credibility that the party appears keen to project alongside the philosophical narrative.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nanaji Deshmukh and why is his birth anniversary significant?
Nanaji Deshmukh was a prominent RSS-linked social thinker, politician, and rural development activist who championed village self-reliance and Antyodaya. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously and his birth anniversary is commemorated annually by the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan with a named lecture series.
What is the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan?
The Deendayal Shodh Sansthan is a research and social-work institution inspired by the philosophy of Deendayal Upadhyaya. It organises the annual Nanaji Smriti Vyakhyan and works on rural development and Antyodaya-oriented programmes.
What was the theme of the 13th Nanaji Smriti Vyakhyan in 2026?
The theme was 'Gram Swavalamban se Viksit Bharat: Samgra Gram Vikas ki Nanaji ki Drishti,' meaning 'From Village Self-Reliance to a Developed India: Nanaji's Vision of Holistic Rural Development.'
What is Antyodaya and how does it relate to BJP's policy agenda?
Antyodaya — literally 'rise of the last' — is a philosophy popularised by Deendayal Upadhyaya and practised by Nanaji Deshmukh that prioritises the welfare of the most marginalised. The BJP frequently cites it as the philosophical root of welfare and rural-development schemes under the Viksit Bharat framework.
Why was the ICAR Director General present at a political lecture event?
The presence of Dr. M. L. Jat, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, reflected the lecture's focus on practical agricultural and rural-development policy, bridging Nanaji Deshmukh's philosophical ideas with contemporary scientific approaches to village self-reliance.
