PM Paid Tribute to Former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Syllabus: GS1/History 

Context

• The PM paid tribute to former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the occasion of his 137th birth anniversary.

About

• November 14 is observed as Children’s Day across the country to mark the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, who was popularly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’ for his affection towards children.
• He was born on November 14, 1889 at Prayagraj located in Uttar Pradesh.
• As the first Prime Minister of Independent India from 1947-1964, he played a crucial role in shaping modern India’s foundation in Nation Building.

Contribution of Jawahar Lal Nehru in Nation Building

• Reorganisation of States: He supported the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines through the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, this supported national unity and territorial integrity while recognising India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
• Promoted Constitutional Values: He emphasised parliamentary debate, rule of law and respect for constitutional institutions.
• Established Planning Commission: The Planning Commission was established in 1950 to promote planned economic growth.
  • His government introduced the First Five-Year Plan (1951–56) and Second Five-Year Plan (1956–61), focusing on agricultural development and industrialisation respectively.
• Mixed Economic Structure: He promoted a mixed economy with a significant role for the public sector in strategic and basic industries.
• Infrastructure Development: A series of major multipropose river valley projects such as Bhakra-Nangal, Hirakud and Damodar Valley projects were supported by his government.
  • He supported the establishment and expansion of institutions such as the IITs and AIIMS.
  • The Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948, laying the foundation for India’s nuclear programme.
• Research and innovation: He encouraged scientific research through institutions such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and national laboratories.
• Education: Emphasised universal education and scientific learning as instruments of social transformation.
• Non-Alignment: He played a leading role in developing the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which preserved India’s strategic autonomy during the Cold War.
• Panchsheel: Under this, he promoted the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in India’s relations with other countries.
  • He was a keen advocate of international cooperation, disarmament and peaceful resolution of disputes.

Criticism of Nehru’s Nation-Building Approach

• Centralisation of power: Critics argue that excessive centralisation weakened federal autonomy and local-level decision-making.
• Foreign policy setbacks: The 1962 India-China war exposed India’s shortcomings in defence preparedness and its shortsighted foreign policy towards China.
• Poverty and inequality: Despite planned development, poverty, unemployment and socio-economic inequalities continued to persist.

Conclusion

• Pandit Nehru’s approach of nation-building was aimed at transforming India from a colonial economy into a modern, democratic and industrialised republic. 
• His emphasis on democracy, secularism, scientific temper, economic planning and development of institutions built the foundations of modern India. 

Source: TH