Children's Day 2023: Here's Why Jawaharlal Nehru's Birthday Is Celebrated As Bal Diwas

Children's Day or 'Bal Diwas' is celebrated annually on November 14 in India. The day is celebrated to appreciate and acknowledge children as they are the future of the county. This date also marks the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of the nation Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was adorably referred to as 'Chacha Nehru' by children. 

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad, India. He was a great advocate for children's rights and for an all-inclusive education system where knowledge is accessible to all. He considered every child as the future of the country and appreciated them to the fullest. "Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow," Nehru said in one of his famous speeches. 

Why is Children's Day celebrated on Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday? 

Previously, Children's Day was celebrated in India on November 20 -  the day 'World Children's Day' is celebrated globally by the United Nations. However, after the death of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1964, the parliament issued a resolution to establish his birthday as the official Children's Day in the country. Since then, India celebrates Children's Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India. The day is also known as Bal Diwas in the country.

During Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure, several educational institutions of national importance- Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) were set up. He was often called by the name "Chacha Nehru". 

Children's Day Celebration

To commemorate this day, children are showered with a lot of love, gifts and pampering. Schools across the country organise special events and programs for the children who are also showered with gifts that consist of eatables, books and cards. They also conduct games, debates, seminars, dance, music, essay, speech and painting competitions. 

Children's Day is a day to sow the seeds of virtue in the future leaders of the nation