Seva Bharati
The Seva Bharati is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in India. It works especially among the economically weaker sections and the tribal and indigenous communities in India. It runs thousands of service projects across India in the field of education, health care, rural development and rehabilitation of differently abled and special needs children.
The massive relief work carried out by Seva Bharati following the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2008 Bihar flood and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami came in for considerable appreciation from various quarters.[1][2] The organisation is also known for its efforts in rehabilitating the victims of terror, especially the children who are rendered orphans by terror attacks.
In 1979, veteran social worker and the then RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Balasaheb Deoras addressed a mammoth gathering of volunteers at Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi, on April 8, 1978, where he called upon them to start service activities among the neglected sections of the society. He asked the volunteers to raise self-respect of the socially and economically deprived people of India. This speech is considered to be the initiating first step that led to starting the Seva Bharati.Although the volunteers of RSS and other allied organisations had been informally working for the betterment of the under-privileged, it was opined that a formal structure would help coordinate the service programs all over the country. Seva Bharati was thus established later that year.[3]
Seva Bharati is inspired from RSS and is the official community service umbrella of allied organisations. The Akhil Bharatiya Seva Pramukh of RSS, guides the organisation and is also represented in the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi sabha, the ultimate decision making body of the Sangh.
Akhila Bharatiya Seva Pramukhs
Yadavrao Joshi (1989–1991)
K. Suryanarayan Rao (1991–1999)
Bhaiyyaji Joshi (1999–2004)
Premchand Goel (2003–2007)
Sitaram Kedilaya (2007–2012)
Suhasrao Hiremath (2012- )
