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Gulzarilal Nanda
Gulzarilal Nanda, the great son of India, was born on 4 July 1898; he was a prominent freedom fighter, economist of great repute and labour leader. After acquiring his research degree in labour matters from Allahabad University he became the professor of economics and labour studies at National College, Bombay in 1921.
Nanda ji gave up his career as professor and joined the national freedom movement on Gandhi ji’s call; he was the true believer in the principles of Gandhi ji. He always held important posts related to labour related matters; chosen as Labour Minister (1946-50), he worked for the realization of Labour Dispute Bill. Later on he helped form the National Trade Union Congress. After independence, Gulzarilal represented India at various International Labour Conferences worldwide.
He twice served as the interim Prime Minister of India, once when Jawaharlal Nehru died and next when Lal Bahadur Shastri died. Gulzarilal Nanda was a man of values and principles; he never exploited his position for personal gains and had no personal property on his name.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in the year 1997 for his devotion and service for the motherland. He died on 15 January 1998.
Gulzarilal Nanda was an Indian politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of India for two brief periods following the deaths of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966. He is the only Indian to have served twice as an acting Prime Minister of India.
Gulzarilal Nanda was born on 4 July 1898 in Sialkot, Punjab in undivided India. After completing his school education, he attended DAV College, Lahore, and then went on to do his Master’s in Economics from the University of Punjab.
He was associated with the Indian National Congress since 1920 and worked closely with the leaders of the party like Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. He became a part of the independence movement and was arrested several times for participating in various protests. After independence, he was appointed as the Labour Minister in the Union Cabinet. He also held the portfolios of Food, Agriculture, Home and Information and Broadcasting.
During his first term as Prime Minister, he was instrumental in the passage of the Hindu Code Bill. He also played a major role in the passage of the Banking Companies Act, which made it possible for the Reserve Bank of India to take control of the banking sector in India. He was also responsible for the establishment of the National Institute of Technology.
His second term as Prime Minister was marked by the Indo-Pak War of 1965. During this time, he was a strong proponent of the war and was credited with bringing the war to an end by signing the Tashkent Declaration with Pakistan.
Gulzarilal Nanda was a great leader of India who believed in the principles of democracy, secularism and socialism. He was a firm believer in the welfare of the people and worked tirelessly to improve the socio-economic condition of the country. He was a great scholar and a true patriot who will be remembered for his immense contribution to the nation.
Bharat Ratna Award
The highest civilian award of the Republic of India is known as BHARAT RATNA. It came into existence on 2nd January 1954. The award was in recognition of extraordinary performance in the field of literature, science, public services, and arts only. This award belongs to all people of India without any discrimination of sex, race, and age. Previously award belonged to only limited criteria but in December 2011 the criteria were changed to include all fields of human endeavour.
Maximum 3 nominees may be awarded per year and recommendations for the same are specially made by the PM to the President. A Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion in the shape of a peepal leaf are the only two things being given to the recipients; no money is granted with the award.
In the Indian order of precedence, the Bharat Ratna award comes in the seventh position. But Bharat Ratna recipients are constitutionally prohibited to use the award name as the title as per Article 18 of the Constitution of India.
Since 1954, 44 distinguished individuals have been awarded this prestigious and highest civilian award in the country.
