Tag: Republic Day

The first Prime Minister of India, the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his famous speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ delivered to the Indian Constituent Assembly on the eve of India’s independence had said, “The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.”

This is an interesting remark that captures not only the essence of the vision of the framers of the Indian constitution but also reveals the key to building a truly great nation.

Republic Day 2024

Every year we observe Republic Day on 26th January to celebrate the occasion of the adoption of the Indian constitution, which gave India its identity as the largest democracy in the world. As India gears up to welcome its 75th Republic Day, let us pause and ponder how far we have achieved the vision of the Indian constitution, how far we still have to go, and how citizens can collectively contribute towards the development of the nation.

Free Others This 75th Republic Day: We Tell You ‘Why’?

Education plays a catalytic role in the development of a nation. It holds the key to unlocking the potential of a country by improving the quality of its human resources. As quoted by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

That is precisely how education has the potential to turn around the life of an individual. Education can truly empower an individual because:

1. It equips one with the knowledge of science and technology relevant to their times. For example, the ability to use a mobile phone, the internet, or make online payments is possible when one has the basic literacy to identify alphabets, numbers, etc, and read and understand instructions.
2.  It helps people realize their potential by revealing their hidden talents and guiding them to use them productively
3. It increases the self-esteem and confidence level of an individual. Helps in shaping the personality of an individual with the right attitude and appropriate behavior.
4. It imparts life skills and enables a person to make better decisions about their personal and professional life.
5.  It improves the standard of living of a person by empowering them to have better opportunities for employment and earning their livelihood.

Any nation is heavily dependent on its human resources for its growth and development. The quality of human resources is an essential index of the socioeconomic development of the country.

Acknowledging Quality of Life in India on Republic Day 2024

As emphasized in the National Policy on Education 1986, “The human being is a positive asset and a valuable national resource which needs to be cherished, nurtured and developed. The catalyst action of education in this context needs to be planned and implemented meticulously”.

India has already completed 76 years of independence. While there has been a noticeable increase in terms of the number of educational institutes, the reality of the quality of education and achievement of educational policies is far below expectation. As per statistics, the overall enrollment at primary levels has seen a decline in recent years. 

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020 states that 5.3% of rural children in the age group of 6-10 years did not enroll in school in 2020 as against 1.8% in 2018. The report further says that dropout rates at the secondary education level have been consistently high and it is more prominent among students and girls belonging to Scheduled Tribes.

Adding to it, the recent pandemic has struck a severe blow to the status of education mainly among the poor and marginalized communities. The loss of livelihood, blow to the economy, switching to an online mode of education and other factors have led to many students dropping out of the education system and losing access to the opportunity to shape their future.

On one hand, COVID-19 induced rapid growth of Ed-tech platforms making India the world’s second largest E-learning market; on the other hand, it has caused a huge digital divide disproportionately impacting the poor and disadvantaged.

Smile Foundation and Nation Building

Children are the future of our nation and education can transform their lives for the better. We, at the Smile Foundation, believe that every child is entitled to the gift of education. Education is one of their coveted constitutional rights. Hence, we have dedicated ourselves fully to the cause of children who deserve more and their families.

Through our flagship programme, Mission Education, we have provided education to 200,000 children so far. We are children not just to gain an education but also to make efforts toward their nourishment, welfare, and holistic development.

However, we can move forward in our mission and reach out to more kids only with your support. This Republic Day 2024, let us vow to bring change to bridge the gaps existing in our education system and make education inclusive and accessible to all.

Please come forward and contribute towards nation-building. Learn more here!

Girl Child’s Status in India’s 75th Year of Republic

Equality and justice are the underlying principles of our constitution.

However, despite constitutional rights, gender disparity is still a sad reality in our country. The declining child sex ratio or the number of females per 1000 males between 0-6 years of age stands as testimony to this. According to data from National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, the child sex ratio at birth in India in 2019-21 was 929. This reflects both the pre and post-birth discrimination against girls in Indian society.

Despite being almost half of India’s population, women are still among the neglected sections in Indian society who do not get equal opportunities in basic education and skill development. The education of girls has positive multiplier effects on society, as an educated girl grows into an empowered woman who can make better choices and informed decisions for herself and her children. 

According to UNICEF, investing in girls’ education can transform communities, countries, and the entire world. Taking a significant step in this direction the government of India has launched the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign to enable the survival, protection, and empowerment of girl children through various interventions.

Empower Our Girls

We, at the Smile Foundation, are also doing our bit to empower India’s daughters. With our initiative called ‘She Can Fly’ we try to support girl children in India to reach their fullest potential by empowering them with quality education, nutrition, healthcare, and necessary skills. 

We urge civil society to join hands with the Smile Foundation to give wings to our girls and enable them to fly. Please participate in educating and empowering them this Republic Day 2024; because in their empowerment lies the nation’s development.

The 75^th Republic Day of India will be celebrated on 26th January. This is the day when we celebrate the adoption of our constitution. This is the day when India truly became self-reliant. From this day, we had our constitution to guide us. Republic Day 2024 is a day of great pride and remembrance of the incredible persons who worked day in and day out to draft the Constitution of India- the supreme law of India.

The Republic Day Celebration is also one of the most elaborate. Since the beginning, it has been celebrated with celebrations at the India Gate. The messages of Happy Republic Day circulate on the internet, and everyone is ecstatic.

26th January is celebrated as the day when Indians left behind the British legacy for good and became completely independent. This day was also special because, in 1929, the Indian National Congress issued the Declaration of Complete Independence from the British. This idea of Purna Swaraj challenged the dominion status of Britain and imagined India as a free country. 

First Republic Day of India

The first Republic Day celebration was held at the Irwin Stadium and later celebrations were also held at Kingsway, Red Fort, and Ramlila Grounds until 1954. Starting from 1955, the celebrations started happening at the Rajpath and the tradition has continued ever since. This is the day when every Indian remembers the promise of the Constitution. Everyone has the right to equality and justice.

This is the reason when we think of celebrating Republic Day, we should think about how we are living up to its promises. One of the most important dreams of a free India has been to give every child the education that he or she needs. This was the aim of government initiatives like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Right to Education.

However, even today, the state of education in the country is not up to the mark. The Annual Survey of Education Research (ASER) report shows that the majority of the students studying in standard V in rural India cannot even read a standard II text. There is still a huge disparity in access to education in the country. This disparity was exposed during COVID-19 when lakhs of children from underserved families could not access education because of a lack of resources.

So, what can you do about this? As we immerse ourselves in the Republic Day 2024 Celebrations, let us also remember those who are still waiting for the education that they deserve. Here’s how you can contribute:

Donate for Child Education This Republic Day 2024

One of the best ways to help these children is by donating for their education. You can support the education of a girl child for a considerably small amount.

Imagine, a small amount by you can ensure education for a child. This may have a life-long impact on them and also help their families. Education is the best way to come out of poverty and you can help someone by giving them the gift of education. So, find the initiatives that you want to support and donate generously as per your capability.

Sponsor A Child You Know

If you want to follow a more personal approach and also monitor the impact, you can opt for this. There may be many underprivileged children that you come across every day. You can simply take responsibility for their education. It can be the child of your house help, your driver, a daily wager, etc. By doing this, you will be able to witness someone’s life getting better in front of your eyes. The gratification will be immense.

Volunteer with Your Time This Republic Day 2024

Another way of helping is by giving your time. If you are someone who can teach a skill or a subject, then volunteer with an organisation. You can teach local kids from your area who will benefit from this. However, if you want a more tangible approach and impact, you can volunteer with an organisation that teaches underprivileged children. This way you can be sure that your efforts are leading to a positive overall impact.

Spread Awareness Among People

The last way in which you can contribute is by spreading awareness of the issue. What if everyone felt motivated to celebrate Republic Day by giving the gift of education? What if one lakh people decided to sponsor the education of one child? This would mean the transformation of many lives.

You can achieve this by telling others about this. You can share this article with your friends, family members, and colleagues. You can also motivate others to volunteer with you. When you share about a good cause that you are contributing to, it can push others to contribute too.

So, as India completes three-quarters of becoming a Republic in 2024, you can play an important role in its success story. As you wish someone a Happy Republic Day 2024 on 26 January, do not forget to ask them to give someone a gift of education too.