Children’s Day 2021: All you need to know about Bal Diwas on Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday

Children’s Day or Bal Diwas is celebrated in India on November 14, the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. He was born in the year 1889.

Pandit Nehru, fondly remembered as Chacha Nehru by the children of India, advocated for children to have all-rounded education that would build a better society in the future. Nehru considered children as real strength of a nation and foundation of society.

On this day, many educational and motivational programs are held across India for children. Cultural programmes for children are also held across the country in various schools, colleges and other educational institutions.

Children’s Day was initially celebrated on November 20 as part of the Universal Children’s Day, declared by the United Nations. After Jawaharlal Nehru’s death in 1964, India began celebrating his birth anniversary as Children’s Day.

Jawaharlal Nehru had immense hope and confidence in the children of India. He established Children’s Film Society India in 1955 so that Indian children could see themselves represented.

He enabled the establishment of some very prominent educational institutions in India. It was his vision that led to the establishment of AIIMS for medicine, the IITs for engineering and the IIMs for management studies.

Nehru’s legacy continues to educate the children of India. He is known to have said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.”