Children's Day 2022: History, Significance, Celebrations

Children’s Day in India is celebrated every year on November 14, on the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s day is an important national event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of education among kids and encourage parents to send their kids to school to improve their futures. The day is also a tribute to the first P.M.  Jawaharlal Nehru, who was lovingly called ‘Chacha Nehru’ among kids, and he was a strong proponent of children’s education. PM Jawaharlal Nehru considered children/youth to be the real future and power of the nation and believed that educating them would ultimately benefit the nation immensely.

The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14, 1889. PM Nehru was the son of Motilal Nehru, who was a well-known lawyer and also a supporter of India’s freedom movement and Swarup Rani Nehru, who was one of the leaders of India’s freedom movement and an advocate of the civil disobedience movement. PM Nehru, under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, became a great leader and set the foundation and vision for an independent, democratic and secular India. After PM Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in 1964, a resolution was passed in the Parliament to officially mark his birth anniversary as ‘Children’s Day’, due to his love for children and his wish for all children to receive a proper education. Every year since then, November 14 is celebrated across the country as Children’s Day with utmost respect and ceremony. As PM Jawaharlal Nehru once said:

Children’s Day is celebrated with the most excitement in schools and kindergartens as a way to celebrate children and teach them about the legacy of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The day also serves as a reminder to treat children with love, care and affection as well as to take care of their needs so they grow up to be healthy and productive members of society. On this day, most schools cancel regular classes and hold special sporting and cultural events instead, for the entertainment of the students. In some schools, students are also allowed to skip wearing their uniforms on children’s day and come in clothes of their own choice. Many schools host speech and poetry competitions in honour of PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Snacks and sweets are distributed among the students during the events and festivities. Children’s Day is a national festival that all students look forward to eagerly.

Outside of schools, many organisations and NGOs also arrange events to promote the education of less fortunate children who cannot afford expensive schooling. Many scholarship programs are arranged and often donation drives are held where books, notebooks, stationary and various food items are distributed among needy kids and orphanages. If you want to contribute to children’s day, you can do so by donating to a legitimate NGO working for the upliftment of children or by donating/financially supporting the education of kids who cannot afford education otherwise. Moreover, if you cannot contribute financially, you can still be a part of it by volunteering for Children’s Day events and raising awareness about the importance of children’s education.