2 min readHyderabadUpdated: Jul 27, 2026 10:57 AM IST
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Samiti (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Sunday called Gen Z imitative and emotional, and said they do not think with a calm mind, news agency PTI reported.
Speaking at an event on ‘contemporary motherhood’, Bhagwat addressed parents’ concerns about the lifestyle of the new generation and said that elders must embody what they want in their next generation.
“Be the change you want to see in society. Reduce your time on social media. Follow mobile discipline. We look to the government. In our tradition, the government is second; society is first. (We say) the government should make this law or that law… we can do that at our home,” PTI quoted Bhagwat as saying.
His remarks came a day after more than a month-long Gen Z-led protest over the NEET paper leak scandal ended in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Bhagwat said he was in favour of parents practicing mobile phone discipline and stressed the importance of discussion among the family members to address the questions of children. “We tell children about mobile discipline, but we are attached to mobiles. So much so that a mother gives a mobile to a child if the child is crying,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Speaking about the contrast between marriage and live-in relationships, he said: “Marriage is a discipline which instils dharma. Its alternative is a live-in relationship. Modernity. What are its consequences? We don’t want responsibilities but happiness. Stay together when it is wanted and part ways when not wanted. No responsibilities. What will grow with it? What is growing, look around the world.”
However, he mentioned that modernity is also welcome and changing with the times is also part of the country’s traditions.
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He said LGBTQ is a part of our society and they should not be looked down upon.
He also said the British made the country believe that everything from the past was worthless. The West is facing problems due to an incomplete vision on a lot of issues that India also adopted, he said.
–with inputs from PTI