Things to know about Children's Day

November 14th is celebrated as Children's Day every year in India. The day is celebrated in honor of India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his birthday.

This year, the date falls on a Monday. The day stands for the rights of children and raises awareness on the need to get them educated, as they form the future of the country.

Pt Nehru was hailed as ‘Chacha Nehru’, because he was popular among children. He considered them to be the future assets of the country, for whom an all-rounded education would be of paramount importance.


It is because of this very reason that he was involved in the establishment of pioneer institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) and the National Institutes of Technology (NIT).

“The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country,” Nehru had said.

Children’s Day is also known as ‘Bal Diwas’ in India, and its celebrations date back to 1956, when the day was observed as ‘Universal Children’s Day’ on November 20, keeping with the United Nations.

After Pt Nehru’s death in 1964, however, it was decided the celebrations be moved to commemorate his birth anniversary. Since then, November 14 has been celebrated as Children’s Day in India.