Every year, Children’s Day is celebrated on 14 November in India to commemorate the birthday of the nation’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
The day is also called Bal Diwas, because 14 November is celebrated as a reminder that children are the real strength of the nation. The day also stresses on the importance of educating and nurturing the young generation.
Nehru believed that the children of today would make the future of this country. He had a special place for children in his heart and his affection towards children was such that he was fondly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’.
Why is Children’s Day celebrated on 14 November?
India began celebrating Children’s Day on 14 November only after Nehru’s death in 1964. Prior to that, Children’s Day was observed in the country on 20 November, the same day as it was marked globally by the United Nations.
Nehru believed that children were an essential component towards nation-building and the way they were brought up will determine how the country would progress and shape up in the future.
He dedicated his life towards working for establishing many educational institutes such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs). His aim was to give the youth of the country a bright future through education to ensure that they could take the nation to greater heights.
How is Children’s Day celebrated in India?
This day is widely celebrated in schools and other educational institutes through educational plays and speeches on the importance of education amongst children as well as several leadership programs and competitions.
Special guests and dignitaries are also invited to educational institutes on this day to motivate, celebrate and empower children. Students from different schools also come together to participate in extra curricular activities and observe the significance of this day.
