Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his age in his interaction with students as part of his ‘Pariksha Pe Darsha’ (Discussion on Exams) program, referring to a call that reminded him of reaching 75 last September.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students during the 9th edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Darsha’ in New Delhi. (DPR PMO)The Prime Minister’s party, the BJP, has followed a convention of retirement at age 75 in the past, though there have been exceptions. In that context, there was much discussion about his age when he turned 75 on September 1
Also read | How Modi at 75 stacks up against other Prime Ministers of India
“A leader called me on my birthday. He said, ‘You have completed 75 years,’ so I told him, ’25 are still left’,” the prime minister said in a video posted on Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s X.
Speaking in Hindi, the prime minister added, “I don’t count the years that have passed; I count the years that are still left.”
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Narendra Modi His current tenure will be 79 years; And many senior BJP leaders said he would seek another term as the prime ministerial face of the BJP-led NDA in 2029 as well.
Prime Minister Modi’s milestone birthday on September 17, 2025 has sparked significant political debate, especially after his comments Mohan Bhagwat, BJP’s ideological parent body is headed by the RSS. Speaking at a book launch event in July 2025 in Nagpur dedicated to the late RSS ideologue Moropant Pingle, Bhagwat made subtle remarks about retirement.
The RSS chief recounted how Pingle once joked that being feted with a shawl at the age of 75 was society’s polite way of signaling that it was time to retire.
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The timing of Bhagwat’s remarks sparked speculation that he was trying to hint at something as both he and Modi turn 75 in September 2025 — Bhagwat on the 11th and Modi on the 17th.
Opposition parties were quick to take the RSS chief’s comments as a veiled message to the Prime Minister. “Prime Minister Modi forced leaders like LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, and Yashwant Singh to retire at the age of 75. Let’s see if he applies the same rule to himself now,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi echoed the sentiment, saying that it was dangerous to campaign without practice, and it seemed that the current leadership would be exempted from the retirement rules that were applied to the Margadarsak Mandal (a body of BJP veterans formed after Prime Minister Modi took over).
The BJP and its leadership have consistently rejected any suggestion of Modi’s resignation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified in May 2023 that there was no such retirement clause in the BJP’s constitution, insisting that Modi would remain at the helm until 2029.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh also emphasized, saying that the 75-year retirement rule was never formally decided and if it was, it would have been mentioned in the party constitution.
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The RSS later sought to clarify Bhagwat’s comments as well.
In a press conference in New Delhi last August. Bhagwat explained His remarks in Nagpur were a reference to a quip of veteran Sangh leader Moropant Pingle, “I never said I would or would Someone else has to retire.”
Prime Minister Modi has set the year 2047 as the target year of ‘Bhikshit Bharat’ or a developed India.
