top of page

By:

Uday Jogalekar

13 May 2026 at 3:25:14 pm

From Pracharak to Minister: My Memories of Dilipda

Long before he became a minister, Dilipda had already earned our respect through his simplicity, discipline, and warmth. In 2007, my job brought me to Kolkata. Once there, I began attending the local RSS shakha and gradually became involved in Sangh work. I first met Dilipda during a visit to a swayamsevak’s home. Coincidentally, that same year, he had been appointed to our division. As everyone introduced themselves, Dilipda casually asked me in Marathi, “How are you finding Bengal?” Hearing...

From Pracharak to Minister: My Memories of Dilipda

Long before he became a minister, Dilipda had already earned our respect through his simplicity, discipline, and warmth. In 2007, my job brought me to Kolkata. Once there, I began attending the local RSS shakha and gradually became involved in Sangh work. I first met Dilipda during a visit to a swayamsevak’s home. Coincidentally, that same year, he had been appointed to our division. As everyone introduced themselves, Dilipda casually asked me in Marathi, “How are you finding Bengal?” Hearing a Bengali pracharak — a full-time RSS worker devoted to organisational work — speak fluent Marathi came as a pleasant surprise to me. From that moment onwards, my interactions with Dilipda increased, and I gradually began to understand the many dimensions of his seemingly simple personality. Coming from Maharashtra, where Sangh work generally faced non-violent opposition, adapting to Bengal — where the opposition was often violent — was not easy. In that atmosphere, I learnt from Dilipda how to remain enthusiastic while also keeping fellow workers motivated and active. I often accompanied Dilipda during his visits to our area. He had a remarkable ability to blend effortlessly into any household, warmly enquire about every family member, and make everyone feel as though he were one of their own. Before being appointed to Kolkata, Dilipda had served as an RSS pracharak in the remote Andaman Islands from around 1999–2000 until 2007. Based in Port Blair, he worked under difficult conditions despite limited travel and communication facilities, diverse tribes speaking different languages, and a local mindset that often kept outsiders at a distance. He would often share positive experiences from his years in the Andamans but never once spoke about the hardships he endured. Despite working in such difficult conditions, he never mentioned his personal discomforts. This ability to remain free of complaints despite adversity is a hallmark of a pracharak, and Dilipda embodied it completely. He possessed the rare gift of finding positivity even in challenging situations. Excellent Cook In Bengal during 2007, Sangh work had not yet expanded to the scale it has reached today. At times, pracharaks had to cook their own meals, and this had made Dilipda an excellent cook. Whenever he returned to the city from his travels, our group would eagerly gather to enjoy his khichdi. Our area, Bidhannagar, was located in Salt Lake, a relatively prosperous locality. Adjacent to it were a few underprivileged settlements, and we would occasionally visit the nearby market. To reach the market from Salt Lake, one had to cross a wooden bridge, where the toll was 25 paise for pedestrians and one rupee for bicycles. Observing the difficulties faced by people in those settlements, Dilipda once suggested starting some sewa (service) activity there. That eventually led to the establishment of a homoeopathic clinic in the locality. While setting up the clinic, Dilipda effortlessly guided us through every stage of planning — what arrangements were needed, how the process should be structured, and what challenges might arise. It felt as though the entire plan was already mapped out in his mind. As the clinic became operational, we began noticing the educational difficulties faced by the local children. English, science, and mathematics were particularly challenging subjects for them, which eventually led to the start of a study centre. The idea of involving engineers from Salt Lake’s IT companies also came from Dilipda. Later, by bringing together IT professionals, an “IT Milan” initiative was started, and many of them eventually became swayamsevaks actively involved in Sangh work. Remarkable Ability At the time, the CPM government was in power in Bengal, and there were many obstacles to conducting shakha activities. Dilipda constantly guided us on overcoming these challenges. He had a remarkable ability to identify work that could bring meaningful change, plan it carefully, and execute it with determination and effectiveness. Whether it was service activities, daily shakha work, or handling sensitive cases related to “Love Jihad", Dilipda consistently displayed dedication, clarity of thought, a fighting spirit, and an unwavering readiness to work tirelessly toward the objective. What amazes me even today is that a pracharak like Dilipda — someone far ahead of us in age, experience, and accomplishments — would interact so casually and warmly with ordinary swayamsevaks like us, placing a hand on our shoulders and speaking as though he were a close friend. In 2009, I was transferred back to Mumbai, bringing my Kolkata chapter to an end. Later, in 2014, I learned that Dilipda had been given responsibility in the BJP. And now, in 2026, the BJP forming a government on its own strength speaks volumes about its contribution and leadership. Today, Dilipda has become a minister, and many titles and honours will naturally be associated with him. But to us, he will always remain simply "Dilipda". (The writer is an entrepreneur based in Kalwa, Thane.)

Broken Merit


While India’s examination system has suffered leaks before, the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2026 affecting more than 22 lakh students, represents the industrialisation of academic fraud. It signifies that former instances of isolated cheating have now acquired the architecture of organised crime.


The details emerging from the investigation are alarming not merely because a question paper was leaked, but because of the sophistication with which it appears to have travelled across India. According to investigators, the NEET paper circulated nearly 45 hours before the examination through encrypted messaging platforms, Telegram networks, portable scanners and shadow servers. The scandal began in Maharashtra’s Nashik before spreading through coaching circuits in Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala and beyond, resembling a black-market supply chain.


At the centre of the scam is a 30-year-old BAMS student from Nashik, accused of purchasing the leaked paper for Rs. 10 lakh and selling it onward for Rs. 15 lakh. Elsewhere, Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group arrested 15 individuals, including alleged masterminds linked to consultancy centres in Sikar, one of India’s most intense coaching hubs. Sikar, like Kota, has become emblematic of India’s examination-industrial complex, where aspiration is monetised at staggering scale.

The most troubling aspect of the scandal is the institutional frailty it exposes. Teachers in Rajasthan reportedly identified extraordinary overlaps between the leaked PDFs and the actual examination paper, and yet local police initially refused to register a complaint. Action only gathered pace after escalation to the National Testing Agency, the Intelligence Bureau and Rajasthan’s SOG. This reflects a chronic Indian ailment that institutions react only after scandal becomes impossible to suppress.


For millions of students, the consequences are devastating. NEET is a gateway to medicine, one of the few professions still viewed by many middle-class and lower-middle-class Indian families as a path to security, prestige and upward mobility. Aspirants spend years preparing for it, enduring punishing schedules, social isolation and immense psychological strain. A leaked paper corrodes faith in merit itself. That corrosion is dangerous in a country whose social contract increasingly rests upon competitive exams.


India has witnessed repeated paper leaks across recruitment and entrance examinations, from constable tests to teacher eligibility exams. Yet the leaks persist because the incentives remain enormous and the risks comparatively low. A single medical seat can transform a family’s fortunes. That creates a lucrative market for intermediaries willing to weaponize technology and desperation alike.


The NTA, established in 2017 to professionalise entrance examinations, now faces a credibility crisis. Conducting massive nationwide tests in the digital age now requires cyber-intelligence capabilities comparable to financial institutions.


India’s coaching economy must also come under sharper scrutiny. The hyper-commercialisation of competitive examinations has produced a parallel ecosystem while the line separating aggressive preparation from unethical advantage has steadily eroded. Unless the government imposes technological safeguards and institutional accountability, the NEET scandal will fade into the long catalogue of India’s forgotten examination frauds.

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

bottom of page