Shekhawat greets ABVP on its 78th Foundation Day
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat greeted Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on its 78th Foundation Day on 9 July 2026, hailing it as the world's largest student body and invoking the slogan 'student power is national power.'
Key Takeaways
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat , Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, posted greetings to ABVP on its 78th Foundation Day, 9 July 2026 .
He described ABVP as the 'world's largest student organisation' that builds national consciousness in line with Indian values.
His post carried the rallying phrase 'Chhatrashakti hi Rastrashakti hai' — 'Student power is national power.' ABVP was founded on 9 July 1948 with roots in the RSS tradition of cultural and national service.
Shekhawat specifically tagged ABVP Rajasthan and ABVP Jodhpur units, reflecting his regional connect as Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur .
The message aligns with the BJP-led government's broader emphasis on cultural nationalism and youth outreach.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat extended greetings to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on its 78th Foundation Day on 9 July 2026, calling the organisation the world's largest student body and crediting it with instilling values of national service in India's youth.
In his post on X, Shekhawat wrote: 'Chhatrashakti hi Rastrashakti hai' ('Student power is national power'), offering his 'heartfelt greetings' to ABVP on its foundation day. He described the organisation as one that 'builds national consciousness in line with Indian values and gives youth the culture of national service,' adding a rallying call: 'Long live student unity dedicated to national interest.'
Context
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad was founded on 9 July 1948, making this its 78th Foundation Day. Established as a student organisation rooted in the ideological tradition of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ABVP has grown into what it describes as the world's largest student organisation, with a presence across university campuses throughout India.
The organisation's stated mission centres on cultural awakening, national integration, and grooming students for service to the nation — themes that Shekhawat's post directly echoed.
Policy Backdrop
Shekhawat's message is consistent with the BJP-led government's broader emphasis on cultural nationalism and the role of RSS-affiliated bodies in shaping youth discourse alongside formal education and culture policy. The Ministry of Culture has increasingly aligned its youth outreach with themes of heritage awareness and national identity.
Successive central governments have engaged ABVP on questions of national integration, and the organisation's foundation-day events have traditionally drawn messages from senior BJP leaders and ministers. Shekhawat, as Union Minister for Culture and Tourism and a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, also tagged @ABVPRaj and @ABVPJodhpur — the Rajasthan and Jodhpur units respectively — underscoring his regional connect with the organisation.
Stakeholders and Impact
ABVP's membership spans students and youth across hundreds of colleges and universities in India. Foundation Day is typically marked by membership drives, cultural programmes, and events that reinforce the organisation's ideological orientation around national values and service.
For the Ministry of Culture, such public affirmations strengthen the government's signalling on cultural nationalism to a young demographic. Students affiliated with ABVP represent a significant constituency in campus politics across several states, including Rajasthan.
What's Next
Foundation Day celebrations are expected to be held at ABVP units across the country, with events in Jodhpur and across Rajasthan likely drawing particular attention given Shekhawat's personal outreach. The Ministry of Culture's youth outreach programmes in the coming months will be watched for any formal convergence with ABVP's annual activities on heritage and national integration themes.
Point of View
But the framing — 'student power is national power' — is notable for its explicit equation of a party-affiliated student body with the national interest. The tagging of regional ABVP units signals Shekhawat's continued cultivation of his Rajasthan base ahead of future electoral cycles. More broadly, the Ministry of Culture's alignment with RSS-linked youth bodies reflects a deliberate strategy of embedding cultural nationalism into the government's institutional outreach. How this translates into formal policy convergence between the ministry and student organisations will be worth watching.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was ABVP founded?
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad was founded on 9 July 1948 , making 9 July 2026 its 78th Foundation Day .
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say about ABVP?
Shekhawat called ABVP the 'world's largest student organisation' that builds national consciousness in line with Indian values, invoking the slogan 'student power is national power' ( Chhatrashakti hi Rastrashakti hai ).
What is ABVP and what is its ideology?
ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) is India's largest student organisation, founded in 1948 with ideological roots in the RSS tradition of cultural awakening, national integration, and service to the nation.
Is ABVP linked to the BJP?
ABVP is ideologically aligned with the RSS, the parent organisation of the BJP, and is widely regarded as the student wing of the broader Sangh Parivar, though it formally describes itself as an independent student organisation.
Who is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat?
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is India's Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, a senior BJP leader, and a Lok Sabha MP representing Jodhpur, Rajasthan .
