Antyodaya Diwas is observed every year on 25 September across India to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, former Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) President and noted philosopher.
- September 25,2025 marks the 109th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
- Antyodaya combines Antya (the poorest) and Udaya (rise), making Antyodaya Diwas a day to celebrate the upliftment of the poorest.
Exam Hints:
- Event: Antyodaya Diwas 2025
- When? September 25
- Significance: Marks the 109th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
- Declaration: 2014
- First Observance: 25 September 2014.
- Related Schemes: Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY); Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY); Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
Background:
Declaration: On 25 September 2014, marking the 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Government of India(GoI) declared 25 September to be observed annually as Antyodaya Diwas.
First Observance: The first Antyodaya Diwas was celebrated on 25 September 2014.
Skill Development Reform: On the 1st Antyodaya Diwas , the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) re-launched Aajeevika Skills as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya–Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) which was introduced in April 2013.
- In 2016, NRLM was renamed Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
About Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya:
Birth: He was born on 25 September 1916 in Nagla Chandrabhan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
Publishing Career: He founded Rashtra Dharma Prakashan in Lucknow(UP) and launched Rashtra Dharma (monthly), later Panchjanya (weekly) and Swadesh (daily).
Political Journey: Joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1937; in 1951 formed the UP unit of BJS.
Leadership: Served as BJS General Secretary (1951–1967) and became its President in 1967. He introduced Integral Humanism in 1965 as the party’s official doctrine.
Notable Works: Samrat Chandragupta (1946), Jagadguru Shankaracharya (1947), Akhand Bharat Kyon? (1952), Bharatiya Arth Neeti: Vikas Ki Ek Disha (1958).
Legacy Tribute: In 2018, Mughalsarai Junction(UP) was renamed Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction to honor the site where he died in 1968.
Related Schemes:
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Launched in 2000 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution(MoCAF&PD), the AAY aims to ensure food security for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families by providing subsidized wheat and rice.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY):
- DAY-NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission): Launched in 2011 as NRLM and renamed DAY-NRLM in 2016, this program is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). It empowers rural poor, especially women, through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), promoting savings, micro-businesses, and financial independence.
- DAY-NULM (National Urban Livelihoods Mission): Launched in 2013 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), DAY-NULM supports the urban poor by providing skill development, employment opportunities, and financial inclusion.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY): A skill training and placement program for rural youth aged 15–35 from poor families, providing jobs with monthly wages at or above the minimum wage.
