Rajiv Gandhi
- PC : mrp
On the 75th birth anniversary, the entire nation is paying tribute to the former Prime Minister of the country, Bharat Ratna Late Rajiv Gandhi.
Rajiv Gandhi served the nation as the seventh Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He was born on August 20, 1944.
Rajiv Gandhi was named after his maternal grandmother Kamala Nehru, wife of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the last member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to hold the post of Prime Minister of India.
On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a public meeting while campaigning in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, for a Lok Sabha candidate of the Congress party. His contribution to the betterment of India was quite spectacular.
On the 75th Birth Anniversary of the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, we are sharing a few interesting facts about him.
- Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of the country. He became the Prime Minister of India at 40. He was the Seventh Prime Minister of India.
- Rajiv Gandhi was a pilot before he had joined politics. He Hardly showed interest in following the footsteps of his mother (Indira Gandhi) and grandfather (Jawaharlal Nehru).
- He remained apolitical till his brother Sanjay Gandhi’s death in 1980.
- The PCO (Public Call Office) revolution was due to Rajiv Gandhi's effort.
- The MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) was established in 1986 which helped in spreading the telephone network in the country.
- He was sworn-in as Prime Minister on October 31, 1984, after his mother was assassinated by her own bodyguards.
- The Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established in 1984. It was established to develop communication technology in the country.
- Rajiv Gandhi was also a keen photographer. After his death, his wife, Sonia Gandhi (Antonia Maino) came out with the book "Rajiv's World: Photographs by Rajiv Gandhi". The book has photographs clicked by Rajiv over four decades.
- He was honoured with India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna in 1991, by the Indian government.
Empowered Young Voters of the Country
The young Rajiv Gandhi put more emphasis on the youth and tried to empower them. In the 61st Amendment Act of the Constitution which was passed in 1989, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 years.
Establishment of Panchayati Raj
He laid the foundation of the Panchayati Raj in the country. A year after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1992, the Panchayati Raj was given a place in the Constitution.
Introduced Education Policy in India
Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi introduced the National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1986. To provide good education and facilities to meritorious children, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas were started with the help of NPE. Children from class 6 to 12 are also given residential facility in these schools.
