‘India Gate se Aayi Awaaz, Chacha Nehru Zindabad’. Almost all of us have at least once heard this popular Hindi rhyme at least once in our lives. However, it is on Children’s Day – celebrated on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday – that the tune finds its story.
While the world celebrates Children’s Day on November 20 (according to the United Nations), India celebrates the special day to commemorate Nehru’s birthday on November 14 every year.
But why do we do that? News18 explains:
Nehru’s Love for Children
Also known as Bal Diwas, Children’s Day’s special date in India is meant to reflect on Nehru’s lessons on the importance of children in nation-building. The late PM is said to have loved children and harboured a special bond with them.
“The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country,” Nehru had once said.
‘I may not have time for adults but I have enough time for children.. the children of today will make the India of tomorrow..’ Jawaharlal Nehru, architect of Modern India used to say. Watch this clip to understand the vision of Chacha Nehru.#JawaharlalNehru #ChildrensDay2021 pic.twitter.com/LiKG4FURx5— Saleem Sarang (@Sarangsspeaks) November 14, 2021
Focus on Education
Nehru was particularly committed to children’s education, establishing India’s free, publicly funded government school system. Several educational institutions of national importance were established during his tenure, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
IITs, IIMs
According to a report by Indian Express, Nehru pushed for a Special Act, which resulted in the establishment of the first IIT in Kharagpur, West Bengal, in May 1950.
He was instrumental in establishing the first IIT in West India in Powai, Mumbai. In 1958, Pandit Nehru was able to secure assistance from the Soviet Union for the establishment of IIT Bombay. This resulted in the establishment of another institute in the north, IIT Kanpur, with assistance from the US, possibly as a result of the Cold War, in 1959.
He was instrumental in establishing the first IIT in West India in Powai, Mumbai. In 1958, Pandit Nehru was able to secure assistance from the Soviet Union for the establishment of IIT Bombay. This resulted in the establishment of another institute in the north, IIT Kanpur, with assistance from the US, possibly as a result of the Cold War, in 1959.
By advocating for the establishment of the IIMs and AIIMS, the late Prime Minister played a significant role in their establishment. The first AIIMS was to be established in Calcutta, but after the proposal was rejected by then-West Bengal Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, it was relocated to New Delhi, the report explains.
In 1961, Nehru also laid the groundwork for the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, which was inaugurated in 1965 by the next Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shashtri.
Nehru included a commitment to provide free and compulsory primary education to children in his five-year plans.
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