Netaji’s Kin Refutes PM Modi’s Claim That Subhash Chandra Bose Wrote Civil Services Exam in Sanskrit

Key Points

ATTENDING THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) held at Bharat Mandapam on Thursday, October 1, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the need for youth driven by “public service” rather than just the allure of a “public office” during his official address. He also commemorated freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and remarked that he wrote the civil services exam in Sanskrit, at a time when the British were in power. However, Netaji’s kin, Chandra Kumar Bose, has refuted this claim and remarked that he has no idea how the Prime Minister got this “wrong information.”

Netaji’s Kin Refutes Claim That Subhash Chandra Bose Wrote Civil Services Exam in Sanskrit

Quoting a news article that reported on PM Modi’s remark that Subhash Chandra Bose attempted his civil services exam in Sanskrit, Vinod Sharma, former political editor at Hindustan Times, tagged Netaji’s grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, and asked his stance on the matter. In reply, Chandra said that Netaji was a linguist skilled in several foreign and Indian languages — including Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindi, German, English, Urdu, & Hindustani. Still, he attempted his civil services exam in English as this was the language that was used for the examination in colonial times.

See also: Unknown facts about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, writes Chandrachur Ghose

In an X reply posted on Friday, October 2, 2026, Chandra Kumar Bose wrote: “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose knew- Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindi, German, English, Urdu, & Hindustani. He was a linguist- but he took his 'INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE' examination in English as that was the language used for this examination. I wonder who has given such wrong information to Prime Minister- @narendramodi . Such distortions in history should be avoided. Jai Hind! @VinodSharmaView @htTweets @EduMinOfIndia @SuparnoSatpathy @NaveenBamel3

PM Modi at UPSC Centenary Event

The celebration event held at the Bharat Mandapam commemorated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). While visiting the gallery at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, PM Modi came across a display on Bose that mentioned he had appeared for the UPSC examination. 

“I had the opportunity to look at a small gallery. I would urge all of you to visit it as well. So many people have been part of this journey, who have transformed the institution over time and taken it to new heights,” said PM Modi while talking about UPSC and its legacy. 

“While I was looking at the gallery, I noticed that Subhas Chandra Bose had also appeared for this examination in 1920. The British were in power at the time, but he wrote the examination in Sanskrit,” PM Modi added. “Friends, on this historic occasion, I would also like to remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. After Independence, the challenge before him was not merely to secure freedom for the country, but also to run the nation. For the reconstruction of the nation, there was a need for a ‘steel frame’, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel gave that to the country,” said Modi, adding that Patel made UPSC a pillar of independent India.

Who is Chandra Kumar Bose?

Chandra Kumar Bose is the son of Amiya Nath Bose and Jyotsna Bose, grandson of Sarat Chandra Bose and grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

See also: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Grandnephew Writes to President Murmu Seeking Repatriation of Bose’s Remains

Chandra Kumar is a socio-political activist, commentator, and convenor of The Open Platform For Netaji — an advocacy forum that campaigns for the declassification of secret government files concerning Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's life and mysterious disappearance.

Suggested reading: