Importance of Children’s Day in India – Date, history, celebration

November 14 is a special day, especially for the children. It is on this day that India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was born. Popularly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’, Pandit Nehru’s popularity among children and his strong advocacy for the enrichment of children in India has encouraged the celebration of his birth anniversary as Children’s Day in India.  In this post, we are going to learn about several other aspects associated with Children’s Day in India. So, let’s find out why Children’s Day is celebrated and its Significance.

Significance of Children’s Day: Importance of the day

Children’s Day is celebrated to augment awareness of the various rights that the children of India are entitled to. It is also celebrated to ensure that the small kids in the country receive the care and the proper education for their overall growth and development. Pandit Nehru strongly supported the children’s rights of getting a fulfilling education and he believed that the children of today are the real strength of the country. Thus, after his death the parliament of India declared November 14 to be celebrated as Children’s Day India to commemorate the date of birth of Pandit Nehru.

Usually, Children’s Day celebration is culminated by organizing several programs related to educational and motivational events for children across the country in various educational institutions and other organizations.

History of Children’s Day

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was born in the year 1889 in a family of Kashmiri Brahmans of high repute known for their aptitude in administration and scholarship. His father, Motilal Nehru, was a renowned lawyer who migrated to Delhi with his family in the 18th century. He was associated with India’s independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Pandit Nehru was the eldest son of the family with three other siblings, including two sisters.

Nehru believed in children being the strength of the nation. He fought the freedom movement of India under the guidance of Gandhiji and became the first Prime Minister of the country. Pandit Nehru is also termed as the ‘architect of modern India’. He emphasized the importance of education, healthcare, and the overall well-being of children—values that are still reflected today in national initiatives promoting access to health insurance and life insurance, helping families secure a healthier and more stable future for the younger generation.

In 1954, the United Nations declared November 20 to be celebrated as Children’s Day by passing a resolution. India, like other nations globally, used to celebrate the occasion on November 20 before unanimously declaring November 14 as Children’s Day by the Parliament of India after the death of Pandit Nehru in 1964.

Rights of Children in India

The constitution of India allows several rights to the children in India. It is important to let the kids of the nation avail such rights and to be aware of them. Below are the rights that children in India are allowed by the constitution of the country.

• To offer free and compulsory primary education to children within the age group of 6-14 years
• To protect children from risky work or child labour
• To ensure enough care and education for every kid during early childhood
• To protect children from child abuse
• To protect children to enter occupation not fit for their age or strength due to economic necessity
• To offer equal facilities to all children for their healthy development
• To protect their dignity against exploitation in childhood and youth

Events on the occasion of Children’s Day

Every year Children’s Day is marked by organizing several motivational as well as fun filled programs in schools and other educational institutions. Speeches are written and delivered by students talking about the history and significance of the day. Many schools organize fairs and other interesting programs on November 14 Children’s Day to make it a day filled with fun and frolic for the kids.