The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is trying to ensure “unwanted crowds” do not enter its annual Sangh Shiksha Varga (Officers Training Camps or OTCs). While the third year camps are already on in Nagpur since May 12, most of the first and second year camps are going to be inaugurated on May 24. While the list of third-year trainees was prepared as early as in November last year, RSS has issued several instructions for filtering unwanted and non-serious people coming to these camps. From this year, RSS will allow only those swayamsewaks for the first year OTC who have been recommended by vibhag (division) level office bearers and have been in touch with them. For second year, it is instructed that the swayamsewaks who have been in touch with prant (state) level office bearers can be nominated. This new condition is in addition to old rules that only those who have gone through week-long Initial Training Camps (ITC) can be sent to first year camps. Similarly, for second year, only those who have some responsibility at least at khand (block) level can be recommended. [related-post] For third year, the restriction is that only those who have some responsibility at district level for at least one year can be nominated. If the trainee is from frontal organisations of RSS, he should have held at least state level responsibility for at least one year. “We did not allow many third year aspirants because they were holding some responsibility only for six months,” said a pracharak. “Some of these conditions have been there since last few years and some have been imposed this year. As the BJP government at the Centre prompts many towards the RSS, we are following these instructions strictly,” said a pracharak.
