Republic Day; History and Significance:
Every year, since 1950, January 26 is celebrated as Republic Day in India. It was
on this day, in 1950, that the Indian constitution came into existence.
The constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on November
26, 1949, and came into effect on January 26, 1950, with a democratic
government system.
The success of the parliamentary form of government, rule of law, and the people’s
faith in the democratic process are the biggest achievements of independent India.
Some Achievements of India-
1. India was the founder member of the Non-aligned Movement. India has
played an active role in strengthening the Movement and making it an
effective voice in representing the collective aspirations and interests of
developing countries on such vital issues as development, peace and
stability.
2. India has also been in the forefront of the world community in the struggle
against colonialism. Indeed, the Independence of India itself played the role
of a catalyst in removing the vestiges of colonialism in other parts of the
developing world, particularly in Africa. India was also the first country to
raise the question of racial discrimination in South Africa in the UN in 1946.
3. According to a World Bank report, the Indian transport system is one of the
largest and densest in the world. Its roads rank third in terms of length, next
only to China and the United States. In terms of density, India’s roads are
similar to the United States and far denser than those in China or Brazil.
4. Since Independence, India has witnessed 17 bloodless changes of power,
showcasing the strength of its democratic values. It has the largest number of
elected people in the world, thanks to its Parliament and a three-tier
Panchayati Raj system across the country.
5. Agriculture is considered as the Indian economy's backbone, given the fact
that it contributes around 18 per cent in the gross domestic product and
provides employment to almost half of the total Indian workforce.
Interestingly, while in the initial years of Independence, India was dependent
upon international food aid, today, India has attained self-sufficiency in food
production and is also a leading producer of several items.
India is the largest producer of milk, millets, jute, ginger, bananas, mangoes,
papayas and the second-largest producer of tea, sugarcane, wheat, potatoes
and many other products.
6. A notable feature of Indian foreign policy has been its strong advocacy of
general and complete disarmament, with nuclear disarmament being
accorded the highest priority. Towards this end, India has taken several
initiatives within the United Nations and outside.
7. ISRO demonstrated its capability of handling complex missions by
successfully launching a record 104 satellites on a single rocket.
8. This is the highest number of satellites ever launched in a single mission by
any other country in the world.
9. As a founder member of the United Nations, India has been firmly
committed to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and has
made significant contributions to its various activities, including peace-
keeping operations. India has been a participant in all its peace-keeping
operations including those in Korea, Egypt and Congo and more recently in
Somalia, Angola and Rwanda.
10. India offers various opportunities for research & development and
innovations. As of 2021, >70% of the 50 most innovative firms across the
world have a Research and Development center in India.
11. India has emerged as a leading player in global affairs. India is a founder
member of G-20, which was established on the eve of global financial crisis,
1997 for the management of global financial order.
Education Sector in India-
The education sector in India is growing swiftly with large private individuals
collaborating with the government to develop this sector. The government is also
considering many steps to enhance the quality of education in India. Primary
education is increasing and many international schools are making their presence
felt in India.
Under the Five-Year Plans, educational facilities in India have been expanded at all
levels. At present, there exist abundant facilities for elementary, higher and
technical education.
An increase in literacy is generally accepted as an indicator of the spread of
education. Spread of education in India at all levels has contributed in raising the
literacy ratio in the country. The number of literates in the country has increased
from 5.7 crores in 1951 to 57 crores in 2001, increasing by ten times over this
period of 50 years. The literacy rate has increased from 18 per in 1951 to 67.5 Per
cent in 2007.
The total government expenditure in education shows the significance of education
in the plan of things before the government. From the year 1952 to 2014, the total
government education investment grew from 7.92 to 15.7.
With the aim of promoting education, the government of India has also initiated
imposing two percent of ‘education cess’ on all the union taxes. This education
cess tax is spent on enhancing elementary education in the country. The
government of India has also initiated various new loan schemes for students who
want to pursue higher education.
The approval by the Union Cabinet in July 2020 of India’s new National Education
Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has filled India’s youth with hope. The NEP 2020 aims to
create an education system that is more student-centric, giving flexibility to students to
pursue their passion while at the same time enhancing their skills.
With the new education policy, the education of the youth would be improved
giving them a way to become a backbone of the nation. The strength of the nation
lies with the youth and with a powerful, strong and highly educated youth the
nation only leads a way to success.