Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Anniversary

Context:

• The Prime Minister paid tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary.

About  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru:

• Born to Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, often referred to as Pandit Nehru, was the first Prime Minister of independent India. 
• November 14, is celebrated in India as Children’s Day in his honor.
• 1912: Nehru returned to India in 1912 and became an advocate but he didn’t enjoy practicing law. 
• 1916: In 1916, he joined Annie Besant’s Home Rule League.
• 1920: He met Mahatma Gandhi and entered the freedom struggle at the national level during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
• 1929-31: In the 1929 Lahore session, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru sought complete independence for India. 
  • In 1929-31, He drafted a resolution called Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy.
  • The resolution was ratified by the Congress party during the Karachi Session in 1931
• 1936: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru presided over the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress
• 1940: He participated in a limited civil disobedience campaign launched by Gandhi and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. 
• 1942: Gandhi designated Nehru his political heir in 1942.
• 1947: He became the first Prime Minister of Independent India.
• 1955:  He was conferred the Bharat Ratna.
• 1964: he passed away on May 27, 1964 

Contributions:

• Literary Work: The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, and his autobiography Toward Freedom,  Letters from a Father to His Daughter.
• Education: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru established institutions of higher learning including IITs, AIIMS, and IIMs. 
  • He even included free and compulsory primary education for all children in his five-year plan.
• Industrial Development: He established heavy industries including Iron and Steel plants in Durgapur, Rourkela.
• Institutions:  Nehru laid the stepping stone for the foundation of the National Defence Academy and the Atomic Energy Commission. 
• Foreign Policy: He initiated the non-aligned movement. 
  • In 1954, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru signed with China the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel. 
  • He held the external affairs portfolio and is credited as the architect of India’s foreign policy. 
• Governance: In 1953, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganisation Commission for the creation of states on linguistic lines.

News Source: HT