Jawaharlal Nehru

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was a freedom fighter and a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence.

Updated: June 28, 2020

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was a freedom fighter and a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence. He was born in 14th November 1889 and died in 27th May 1964. He was the first Prime Minister of India after independence. He was also known as Pandit Nehru due to his roots with the Kashmiri Pandit community while Indian children knew him as Chacha Nehru. With Gandhi as his mentor, Nehru worked his way to become an important leader of the Indian National Congress. Jawaharlal Nehru is widely admired for his astute idealism and statesmanship.

He played a major role in making India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, for which he is often referred to as the 'architect of modern India'. He shaped modern India's government and political culture along with a sound foreign policy.

Childhood of Jawaharlal Nehru:

Jawaharlal Nehru was born to Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani in Allahabad in British India. He was the elder child of the couple. Vijaya Lakhsmi and Krishna Huthseeing were his siblings. His father was a barrister and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement and served as the President of the Indian National Congress twice.

Education of Jawaharlal Nehru:

Nehru received most of his primary education at home with the help of several tutors and governess. Nehru was enrolled at the Harrow School in England at the age of 16 after which he got admission at the Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned his honors degree in natural science. After attaining his graduate degree, Nehru relocated to London in 1910 and enrolled himself at the Inns of Court School of Law, where he studied law. In two years, he passed his bar examination and was offered to be admitted to the English bar. Nehru returned to his homeland in 1912 and started practicing law as a barrister at the Allahabad High Court.

Family of Jawaharlal Nehru:

Jawaharlal Nehru got married to Kamala Kaul in 1916. His only daughter, Indira Priyadarshini Nehru (later Gandhi) went on to become the first woman Prime Minister of the country.

Some facts about Jawaharlal Nehru:

Nehru served as the first Prime Minister of independent India from August 15, 1947 until May 27, 1964.
His birthday, which falls on November 14th, is celebrated as Children's Day across the country due to his relentless contribution towards the betterment and welfare of children.
Nehru was bestowed with the Barat Ratna award in 1955, Indiaâ€™s highest civilian honor for his outstanding contribution during the freedom struggle and as the first Prime Minister of India.
He has authored various books, including 'The Discovery of India', 'Glimpses of World History', and his autobiography, 'Toward Freedom'.
He is referred to as the 'Architect of Modern India'. Often his surname is prefixed with the words 'Chacha' and 'Panditji'.
He established many institutions of higher learning, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Management and the National Institutes of Technology.
Several institutions and memorials have been named after him as a mark of respect and tribute. Some of these include, the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
In 1959, the Government of India initiated the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. It is presented for outstanding contribution to the promotion of international understanding, goodwill and friendship among people of the world.