National Integration Day also known as ‘Quami Ekta Diwas’ is celebrated every year on November 19 to commemorate the birthday of India’s first Woman Prime Minister (PM) – Indira Gandhi. The year 2021 marks the 104th birth anniversary celebration of Indira Gandhi.
- National Integration Day was created in her honor as a way to encourage all Indians to integrate, regardless of race or religion.
- slogans- ’’People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights’’ and ‘’Garibi Hatao’’ (“Remove poverty”)
Key points
i.It is celebrated in Schools, colleges, and universities across India to remember Indira Gandhi’s leadership and the ways in which she changed the country.
ii.The celebration of National Integration Day is carried out for an entire week with different themes associated with each following day.
About Indira Gandhi:
i.Indira Gandhi (Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi Nehru), the first woman Prime Minister of India, was born on 19th of November 1917 in Allahabad. She was the daughter of the first Indian PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
ii.Political career- She became a Cabinet member under Lal Bahadur Shastri’s govt. and served as the Minister for Information and Broadcasting in 1964, later in 1966 she became the Prime Minister of India.
Award– She was awarded with India’s Highest award, Bharat Ratna in 1971.
Popular Initiatives during her tenure:
Treaties signed- Indo-Soviet treaty of peace, friendship and cooperation(1971) and Shimla Pact (1972).
Space mission- India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma made a remarkable feat into India’s space history.
Nationalization of Banks- Indira Gandhi created 14 nationalized banks in 1969 to solve the then problems that plagued the public sector banks.