Editing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (section)

===Leadership and member positions===
[[File:Welcome from City of Milpitas California, USA to K Sudarshan राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ.JPG|thumb|right|Welcome from City of Milpitas California, USA to K Sudarshan]]There are the following terms to describe RSS leaders and members: 
* ''[[Sarsanghchalak]]'': The ''Sarsanghchalak'' is the head of the RSS organisation; the position is decided through nomination by the predecessor.
* ''Sarkaryavah'': equivalent to general secretary, executive head.<ref name="rss faq">{{Cite web |date=3 June 2017 |title=Basic FAQ on RSS |url=http://rss.org//Encyc/2017/6/3/basic-faq-on-rss-eng.html |website=rss.org}}</ref> Elected by the elected members of the [[Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha]].<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last= |url=http://archive.org/details/the-constitution-of-rashtriya-swayamsevak-sangh |title=The Constitution Of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh |pages=4–5 |language=en |via=archive.org}}</ref> [[Dattatreya Hosabale]] is the ''Sarkaryawah'' {{as of|2021|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Paranjape|first=Makarand R.|date=21 March 2021|title=Progressive and pan-Indian — Dattatreya Hosabale is new face of RSS|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/progressive-and-pan-indian-dattatreya-hosabale-is-new-face-of-rss/625577/|access-date=22 March 2021|work=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Suresh Joshi (RSS)|Suresh Joshi]] preceded him; he had held the post for 12 years.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ramachandran|first=Smriti Kak|date=16 February 2021|title=RSS may decide on new general secretary in March meet|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rss-may-decide-on-new-general-secretary-in-march-meet-101613497745657.html|access-date=14 March 2021|work=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>
* ''Sah-Sarkaryavah'': Joint general secretary, of which there are four.<ref name="rss faq"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 March 2018 |title=Manmohan Vaidya, Mukunda CR appointed new RSS Sah Sarkaryavahs |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/manmohan-vaidya-mukunda-cr-appointed-new-rss-sah-sarkaryavahs/story-iBYOmfhIM774htMx6N0zLN.html |website=Hindustan Times |agency=Indo Asian News Service}}</ref> Notable ''Sah-Sarkarayvahs'' include [[Dattatreya Hosabale]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 March 2018 |title=Dr. Manmohan Vaidya and Shri. Mukund are new Sah-Sarkaryavah |url=http://rss.org//Encyc/2018/3/12/new-team-of-sangh-2018.html |access-date=12 March 2018 |website=rss.org}}</ref><ref name="rss.org">{{Cite web |date=8 October 2016 |title=Hindu rashtra stands for the way of life in India: Manmohan Vaidya |url=http://rss.org//Encyc/2016/10/8/Hindu-rashtra-way-of-life-Manmohan-Vaidya.html |website=rss.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 October 2019 |title=RSS' work is expanding consistently across the nation – Dr. Manmohan Vaidya |url=http://rss.org/Encyc/2019/10/16/karyakari-mandal-baithak-inaugural-press-brief.html |website=rss.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 September 2019 |title=Sarsanghchalak Ji Interacted with foreign media |url=http://rss.org/Encyc/2019/9/24/Sarsanghchalak-Ji-Interacted-with-foreign-media.html |website=rss.org}}</ref>
* Vicharak: A number of RSS leaders serve as ''vicharak'' or ideologues for the organisation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinha |first=Rakesh |date=17 September 2018 |title=Understand the RSS |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mohan-bhagwat-rss-ideology-lecture-series-congress-rahul-gandhi-5359320/ |website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/lqQhcXQ5MKFtDPpRtNAnmO/Decoding-RSS-ideologue-MS-Golwalkars-nationalism.html|title=Decoding RSS ideologue M.S. Golwalkar's nationalism|first1=Manu S.|last1=Pillai|date=14 July 2017|website=livemint.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/11/24/the-person-who-is-doing-most-to-undermine-the-reserve-bank-of-india|title=The person who is doing most to undermine the Reserve Bank of India|date=24 November 2018|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref>
* ''Pracharak'': Active, full-time missionary who spreads RSS doctrine.<ref name="rss faq"/> The system of ''pracharak'' or RSS missionaries has been called the life blood of the organisation. A number of these men devote themselves to lifetime of celibacy, poverty, and service to the organisation. The ''pracharaks'' were instrumental in spreading the organisation from its roots in Nagpur to the rest of the country.<ref name="Berntsen1988">{{cite book|author=Maxine Berntsen|title=The Experience of Hinduism: Essays on Religion in Maharashtra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7PDr-QF4YmYC&pg=PA190|date=1 January 1988|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-88706-662-7|pages=195–196}}</ref> There are about 2500 ''pracharaks'' in RSS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tiwari |first=Ravish |date=27 November 2014 |title=The low-profile RSS apparatchik is the new face of power in the NDA |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20141208-rss-sangh-nda-bjp-l-k-advani-narendra-modi-cover-story-806098-2014-11-27 |website=India Today}}</ref> The two most well known former ''pracharaks'' are former prime minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India {{as of|since=y|lc=y|2014|05}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bannerjee |first=Sikata |author-link=Bannerjee |date=2005 |title=Make Me a Man!: Masculinity, Hinduism, and Nationalism in India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F165bWv7goQC&dq=modi+vajpayee+pracharak&pg=PA75 |location=Albany NY, USA |publisher=New York University press |page=92 |isbn=0-7914-6367-2}}</ref>
* ''Karyakarta'': Active functionary. To become a ''karyakarta'', ''swayamsevak'' members undergo four levels of ideological and physical training in Sangh Shiksha Varg camps. 95% of ''karyakartas'' are known as ''grahastha karyakartas'', or householders, supporting the organisation part-time; while 5% are ''pracharaks'', who support the organisation full-time.<ref name="ET karya"/>
* ''Mukhya-Shikshak'': The head teacher and chief of a ''shakha''.<ref name="rss faq"/>
* ''Karyawah'': The executive head of a ''shakha''.<ref name="rss faq"/>
* ''Gatanayak'': Group leader.<ref name="rss faq"/>
* ''Swayamsevak'': [[Volunteering|Volunteer]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?tran_input=svayamsevaka&direct=se&script=hk&link=yes&mode=3 |title = Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit}}</ref> ''Svayam''<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?tran_input=svayam&direct=se&script=hk&link=yes&mode=3 |title = Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit}}</ref> can mean "one's self" or "voluntary," and ''sevaka''<ref>[http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?tran_input=sevaka&direct=se&script=hk&link=yes&mode=3 Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit]. S''evaka'' can be explained as "attendant", "worshiper", "follower" or "servant".</ref> [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] described himself as a s''wayamsevak''.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-prime-minister-atal-bihari-vajpayee-passes-away-at-93/article24704802.ece?homepage=true |title = Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP's gentle colossus, fades away|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 16 August 2018|last1 = Perapaddan|first1 = Bindu Shajan}}</ref> They attend the ''shakhas'' of the RSS.<ref name="ET karya">{{Cite news | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/what-does-it-take-to-be-an-rss-karyakarta/articleshow/64390472.cms |title = What does it take to be an RSS karyakarta?|newspaper = The Economic Times|date = 30 May 2018|last1 = Venugopal|first1 = Vasudha}}</ref>