Jawaharlal Nehru University campus

Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate university with approximately 8,000 students and a faculty strength of around 550.

History[link]

The university was established in 1969 by an act of parliament. It was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, and was founded by Indira Gandhi, (Nehru's daughter), and G. Parthasarathy was the first-vice-chancellor.

The objective of the founders was to make the university a premier institution of higher learning and to promote research and teaching leading to the increasing engagement of its students and teachers in higher level academic work and national and international policy making.

School of Biotechnology building

Schools[link]

The University is organised into ten Schools, each of which has several Centers as well as four independent Special Centers:

1. School of Arts and Aesthetics:^[1] This is one of the newest schools in the university. It is one of the few places in India that offers post-graduate degree courses in the theoretical and critical study of the cinematic, visual and performing arts. Moreover, it is the only place in India where these disciplines are offered in one integrated programme that allows students to understand the individual arts in a broader context of history, sociology, politics, semiotics, gender and cultural studies apart from being able to integrate the study of one art form with the other arts. The three streams of study offered at the school are Visual Studies, Theatre and Performance Studies and Cinema Studies.
2. School of Biotechnology: This school was set up in 2006 from the earlier Center for Biotechnology.
3. School of Computational and Integrative Sciences (earlier School of Information Technology^[2]): This school offers MTech in Computational and Systems Biology, and per-doctorate and doctorate courses in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. The department has two centers, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Center.
4. School of Computer and Systems Sciences: Since its inception in 1974, this school has been attracting the largest number of applications as compared with the other schools. The school specially caters to three fields of study namely, Master of Computer Application (MCA), Master of Technology (M.Tech.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The faculty and students deal with a wide range of computer science and technology areas for example: Database Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Networks, Operation Research, Mathematical Modelling, Optimization Techniques, Software Engineering and many more. A student placement cell is functional at the school which facilitates the students to enter the Global IT Market after completion of the course.^[3]
5. School of Environmental Sciences: Research into Remote sensing application in Geosciences, especially Groundwater and Earthquake forewarning and Sun-Earth connection. Other research includes: Environmental Biosciences, Ecology, Geomics, Glaciology, Chemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology, Pollution studies, Radiation Physics and Environmental Physics.
6. School of International Studies: This is the oldest school. It predates the establishment of JNU as the Indian School of International Studies, which was set up in 1955.^[4] The centers in this school are the Center for Canadian, US and Latin American Studies, the Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for European Studies, the Center for International Legal Studies, the Center for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament Studies, the Center for International Trade and Development, the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies, the Center for South, Central, Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific Studies, the Center for West Asian & African Studies and the Group of Comparative Politics & Political Theory.
7. School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies: This is the only school that offers undergraduate courses with several centers: the Center for Arabic and African Studies, the Center for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, the Center for French and Francophone Studies, the Center for German Studies, the Center of Indian Languages, the Center for Japanese Korean and North East Asian Studies, the Center for English Studies, the Center for Linguistics, the Center for Persian and Central Asian Studies, the Center for Russian Studies, the Center for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian & Latin American Studies.
8. School of Life Sciences: The School of Life Sciences (SLS) was established on the basis of a report prepared by a working group headed by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan in the year 1970. The School stands today as a unique institution in the country where multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching and research in life sciences have established permanent roots. The uniqueness of the School essentially lies in the fact that within the School’s faculty there are experts and active researchers representing almost all areas of modern biology. The School has been recognized as Center of Excellence under UGC-COSIST and DSA Special Assistance Programmes. Almost all the students completing Ph.D. degrees from SLS(285 till date), get opportunities for post-doctoral work abroad, and a great many return to serve the country . School’s faculty and students publish extensively in reputed national and international journals. To date, SLS has to its credit, over 2000 research publications.
9. School of Physical Sciences: This school was formed in 1986 with a faculty in Physics and later added with faculties in Chemistry and Mathematics. The degree programs offered are M.Sc. (in Physics) and Ph.D. (in Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics). The different areas of research interests include Theoretical and Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Soft-Matter Physics, Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory, Classical and Quantum Chaos, Low Temperature Physics, Materials Science, Supramolecular Chemistry, Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy, as well as extensive computational facilities with a dedicated Nonlinear Dynamics laboratory.
10. School of Social Sciences: It is the largest School (in terms of the number of faculty members) in JNU with 9 centres. The centers in this school include the Center for the Study of Regional Development, which is accredited as the Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) by the University Grants Comminssion and is the premier center in the Field of (GEOGRAPHY), the Center for Economic Studies and Planning, [1], which is a premier institute in the field of economics, the Center for Historical Studies, which regularly brings out a reputed peer-reviewed journal entitled Studies in History, the Center for Philosophy, the Center for Political Studies, the Center for Studies in Science Policy, the Center for the Study of Social Systems, the Center of Social Medicine and Community Health, the Zakir Husain Center for Educational Studies,^[5]

Special Centers[link]

1. Center for the Study of Law and Governance
2. Center for Molecular Medicine
3. Special Center for Sanskrit Studies
4. Special Centre for Nano Sciences

Institutions affiliated to JNU[link]

The following institutions are affiliated to JNU:^[6]

• Officers Training Academy, Chennai
• Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow
• Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum
• Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad
• Central Institute of Medicine and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow
• College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune
• C.V.Raman Research Institute, Bangalore
• International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi
• Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh
• Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Secunderabad
• Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow
• Naval College of Engineering (NCE), INS Shivaji, Lonavla
• National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi
• Nuclear Science Center, New Delhi (now renamed as the Inter-University Accelerator Centre(IUAC))
• The National Defence Academy, Pune
• The Army Cadet College, Dehra Dun
• National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi^[7]

Collaborators[link]

The university has exchange programmes and academic collaboration through the signing of MoUs with 71 foreign universities around the world.^[8] This list includes:

1. Ankara University, Turkey
2. Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
3. George Washington University, USA
4. Gyeongsang National University, Korea
5. Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, France^[9]
6. King's College London, United Kingdom^[10]
7. Lancaster University, UK
8. Moscow State University, Russia
9. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
10. University of Cologne, Germany
11. University of Heidelberg, Germany
12. University of Strasbourg, France
13. University of Illinois, USA
14. University of North Carolina, USA
15. University of the Philippines (system), Quezon City
16. University of Sydney, Australia
17. University of Essex, UK
18. Yale University, USA
19. York University, Canada
20. NASA, USA
21. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland

Infrastructure[link]

The JNU Campus[link]

The university is an example of the new red brick universities built in the mid-20th century.

Located in the southern part of New Delhi and spread over an area of about 1000 acres (4 km²), the campus occupies some of the northernmost reaches of the Aravalli Hills. The campus still maintains large patches of scrub and forestland - the JNU ridge, home to over 200 species of birds and other wildlife such as, Nilgai, Indian Crested Porcupines, Common Palm Civet, jackals, mongoose, peacocks as well as a large number of snakes.

The JNU library is a nine-storey building in the middle of the academic block of the university and is the tallest structure on the campus. It contains large collections of books, printed journals, newspapers and archives of primary sources. On the ground floor are the reading rooms, a section of the stacks, the library's collection of the back numbers of scholarly journals, computer terminals and a newspaper and journal section. The different floors are devoted to different subjects. The library also houses the P.C.Joshi Archives. Now the library compound is fully Wi-Fi, with online access to various international academic journals including Project MUSE and JSTOR.

Modernization[link]

The university has been modernizing itself by moving toward "paperless"^[11] transparency and e-governance with the help of Wipro, and a wireless network to connect the students and the teachers to the library.

Students[link]

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU)[link]

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) is primarily responsible for building and preserving a healthy political culture and an atmosphere of open debates on the campus.

Students are kept informed about the various public meetings, discussions and other issues through pamphlets and notices.

Public Action, an objective forum, invited a variety of journalists, politicians, and academics, to debate and discuss various topics.

There is a long tradition in JNU of holding serious post-dinner meetings in the hostels to which the students often invite well known public figures, writers and intellectuals.

Student activism[link]

The university is known to have a long tradition of alumni that now occupy important political and bureaucratic positions (see: Prominent alumni) . This is in part due to the strong prevalence of left-centric student politics and the existence of a written constitution for the University to which noted Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat contributed exhaustively during his education at J.N.U.[2] However, on October 24, 2008 the Supreme Court of India had stayed the JNU elections and banned the JNUSU for not complying with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee [3] . After a prolonged struggle and multi-party negotiations, the ban was lifted on December 8, 2011. [4] After a gap of more than 4 years, interim elections were scheduled again on 1st march, 2012.^[12] Following the election results declared on 3 March 2012, AISA candidates won all the 4 central panel seats and Sucheta De, the president of AISA became the president of JNUSU.^[13]

Foreign Students' Association[link]

The Foreign Students’ Association (FSA) is an official Jawaharlal Nehru University body. It was instituted in 1985 with a view to promoting friendly relations and cultural exchange. The FSA has a constitution and elected executive, cultural, advisory and financial committees. All foreign students of JNU are also members of the FSA.

FSA conducts Language and Culture classes free of charge for JNU students, including Japanese, German, English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu classes with the help of FSA members and students. In addition, the group organizes tours, picnics and heritage trips are organized. The group organizes an International Film Festival at which films from different counties are screened. “Thursday Forum” is the discussion session held in FSA for foreign students for discussions around different issues and topics.

Cultural Activities[link]

The university has 9 cultural clubs: the Drama Club, Music Club, Film Club, Fine Arts Club, Photography Club, Literary Club, Debating Club, UNESCO Club and Nature & Wildlife Club. Programs are organized by the Convenor and the members of the respective club. Other cultural groups: Bahroop Arts Group, IPTA (Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association), Orissa Sanskrutika Parishad(OSP), Wings Cultural Society and many more.

• Bahroop Arts Group is an amateur theatre group which has been active on campus for more than 15 years. Their plays often focus on topical issues.

• IPTA is a theater group.

• Odisha Sanskrutika Parishad organises Utkal Divas. It also organises Saraswati Puja at Teflas TV Hall.

• Wings Cultural Society is plans a variety of cultural activities, including theatre, painting exhibitions, literary seminars, and symposiums, etc.

Annual events[link]

• SFH - Students for Harmony started in 1997 in JNU organises cultural events throughout the year. Tastopia, the world food festival, Ahimsa Day blood donation camp on 30 January, Talents - the inter-hostel festival, Madhurima, the folk songs and dance programme, Oceania, an international cultural evening, Imprint - the handicrafts exhibition, dignitaries lecture series are some of the events.
• Rang Bayaar: The first edition of theatre festival of Jawaharlal Nehru University kickstarted at the Convention Centre, JNU on 31 March 2012. The festival brings five plays by four in-house theatre groups and one guest group. IPTA, Bahroop, Wings Cultural Society and Sehar are the theatre groups of JNU, while Bela Theatre Group is the guest participant. The cultural coordinator of JNU, Prof. Manjushri Chauhan promised to make it an annual event
• Northeast Nite: This is annually organized by the Northeast Forum during the early winter season. It is a cultural festival that celebrates the cultural diversity of people from Sikkim and the Seven States of India's Northeast.
• Kallol: It is the Annual Sports and Cultural Festival organized by the students of SLL&CS, JNU in the Monsoon Semester.
• Summit: It is the Sports and Cultural Festival of the SIS organized in the Winter Semester.
• Kalrav: (International Film Festival): It is organised by the students of SLL&CS JNU in the Winter Semester with voluntary donations from the students.
• Utkal Divas Celebration: The celebration of Utkal Divas (Orissa Day) on 1 April every year, is one of the most attractive cultural functions of the University organised by Orissa Sanskrutika Parishad (OSP), a cultural association of Oriya Students at JNU.^[14][15]
• Jashn-e-Zabaan: (A Celebration of Language and Expressions), a three day festival of theatrical performances organized by Jawaharlal Nehru University, Wings Cultural Society and students of JNU.
• Rang-o-Kalaam: (A Cultural Extravaganza), a two day festival of creative expressions blending theatrical performance and qawwali, from dialectics to spirituality organised by Bahroop and students of JNU.
• Rajasthan Night: students from Rajasthan state organize a cultural night where they show the Rajasthani culture.
• পয়লা বৈশাখ/Poila Boisakh: is the Annual Bengali New year celebration either on 13 or 14 April. A evening of wonderful Bengali cultural show is followed by exquisite Bengali cuisine.
• Baisakhi: It is a cultural fest organised by the Students in the second week of April to celebrate the new year for various cultures across India, blending the cultures from far Punjab in the west to Assam in the East, Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South.
• Technophilia: A technical cum fun fest of 2 days organised by the students of SC&SS in the Final weeks of January every year which is composed of technical contests and invites students from other universities across India to come and participate.

Hostels[link]

The residential character of JNU is an important component of the intellectual and cultural life of the campus. There are 17 residences (hostels), including one for married students. Of the 17 residences, 7 for men, while 5 for women and 4 have mixed wings for women and men.

Sports[link]

There are various sports clubs in the university. The practice sessions are organised by the convenor with help of the Sport Office, which provides the necessary kit and other sport equipments. All the clubs organise annual tournaments in the winter semester. There are three main venues where the following games are played:

• Sports Complex/JNU Stadium: For football, cricket, volleyball, lawn tennis, weight lifting/gymnasium, yoga & athletics.

• Badminton Hall inside the Students Activity Centre (Tefla’s Building): For badminton and taekwondo (with a qualified instructor, Black Belt 4th Dan).

• Central School Grounds Basketball Court' (near Tapti Hostel): Basket Ball.

Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC)[link]

^[16]

Inter University Accelerator Centre, an autonomous body under the University Grants commission, is an Institution which is playing an active and dynamic role as coordinator cum facilitator in accelerator based research in Indian Universities for the past two decades. Originally known as Nuclear Science Centre (renamed later as Inter University Accelerator Centre in June 2005), the first in the families of IUCs, it came up in 1984. Construction of the building started in 1986 and was completed in 1989. The commissioning of the Pelletron Accelerator started in August, 1989 and was completed by Dec, 1990. On Dec 19, 1990, it was dedicated to the nation by the minister of HRD and the first beam was delivered to the user community on July 8, 1991.

The objective of the Inter-University Accelerator Centre is to provide within the university system world class facilities for accelerator based research in focused areas of several disciplines, e.g., Nuclear Physics, Materials Science, Atomic Physics and Radiation Biology. This IUC has the dual role i.e. to establish state-of-art accelerator system along with the experimental facilities and to create adequate infrastructure for enabling the university community to undertake internationally competitive research.

The basic objective of Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) is to provide front ranking accelerator based research facilities to create possibilities for internationally competitive research within the university system. While the phase I of IUAC was to commission a tandem accelerator to provide accelerated ion beams over a wide mass region, the maximum energy of ions from the Pelletron (~ 200-250 MeV) limits the research program for both nuclear physics and materials science. A superconducting LINAC booster was planned in early 90s for future augmentation of the Pelletron. The goal of the phase II of IUAC is to optimize the acceleration facilities in a wide mass region around 60 - 80 to obtain energies above the Coulomb barrier as demanded by the Physics requirements to remain in the forefront of research. For gaining experience in the operation of high charge state positive ions sources, a unique Low Energy Ion Beam Facility (LEIBF) has been developed at IUAC.

Notable alumni[link]

• Palagummi Sainath, Journalist
• Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Airways
• Muzaffar Alam, George V.Bobrinsky Professor of History, University of Chicago, USA
• Abhijit Banerjee, Ford Foundation Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
• Baburam Bhattarai, current Prime Minister and former Finance Minister of Nepal
• Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain, Professor IIT, Delhi, India
• Thomas Issac, Former Finance Minister of Kerala
• Aditya Jha, Canadian entrepreneur; philanthropist and philosopher; active in Canadian public affairs
• Satish Jha, The Times of India, Former Editor, Dinamaan
• Prakash Karat, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Abhay Kumar, Diplomat, Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs India
• Lalit Mansingh, Dean of Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi
• Udayan Mukherjee, CNBC News
• Ranjit Nayak, World Bank Country Representative in Kosovo
• Digvijay Singh, former Union Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
• Nirmala Sitaraman, spokeswoman for Bharatiya Janata Party
• Saurabh Shukla, Senior Editor, India Today
• Ashok Tanwar, Secretary, All India Congress Committee and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
• Sitaram Yechury, Member, Polit Bureau, Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Notable faculty[link]

• U. P. Arora, Greek history and Culture, Indo-Greek studies.
• Kanti Bajpai, Former Professor of International Relations, Wolfson College, Oxford
• Bipan Chandra, Chairman, National Book Trust, New Delhi
• Satish Chandra, former Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi
• B. S. Chimni, Former Vice Chancellor, National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
• Muchkund Dubey, Former Foreign Secretary of India
• Jayati Ghosh, Member of National Knowledge Commission, India
• Sarvepalli Gopal, Biographer of Jawaharlal Nehru; also former Chairman, National Book Trust
• Satish Jha, Chairman, One Laptop per Child India Foundation
• Sudipta Kaviraj
• V. S. Mani, Director of the School of Law and Governance, Jaipur National University
• Lalit Mansingh, Former Ambassador to the United States
• Amitabh Mattoo, Director Australia India Institute and Professor of International relations, University of Melbourne
• Madhavan K. Palat
• K. N. Panikkar, Vice Chancellor, Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala
• Prabhat Patnaik, Deputy Chairman of the Kerala Planning Commission
• Tanika Sarkar
• Abhijit Sen, Member of Planning Commission of India
• Romila Thapar, former Chancellor of Hyderabad University
• Khwaja Ekram, Center of Indian Languages and also Director of NCPUL India

See also[link]

• List of universities in India
• Universities and colleges in India
• Education in India
• Education in Delhi
• Distance Education Council
• University Grants Commission (India)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jawaharlal Nehru University

• JNU Official website
• JNU Blog Directory
• JNU approves madrasas for BA First Year admission eligibility - TCN News

Jawaharlal Nehru जवाहरलाल नेहरू
1st Prime Minister of India
In office 15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964
Monarch	George VI (1947-1950)
President	Rajendra Prasad Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Governor General	The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
Deputy	Vallabhbhai Patel
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting)
Minister of Defence
In office 31 October 1962 – 14 November 1962
Preceded by	V. K. Krishna Menon
Succeeded by	Yashwantrao Chavan
In office 30 January 1957 – 17 April 1957
Preceded by	Kailash Nath Katju
Succeeded by	V. K. Krishna Menon
In office 10 February 1953 – 10 January 1955
Preceded by	N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar
Succeeded by	Kailash Nath Katju
Minister of Finance
In office 13 February 1958 – 13 March 1958
Preceded by	Tiruvellore Thattai Krishnamachariar
Succeeded by	Morarji Desai
In office 24 July 1956 – 30 August 1956
Preceded by	Chintaman Dwarakanath Deshmukh
Succeeded by	Tiruvellore Thattai Krishnamachariar
Minister of External Affairs
In office 15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gulzarilal Nanda
Personal details
Born	(1889-11-14)14 November 1889 Allahabad, North-Western Provinces, British India
Died	27 May 1964(1964-05-27) (aged 74) New Delhi, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Kamala Kaul
Children	Indira Gandhi
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge Inns of Court
Profession	Barrister
Religion	None (Agnostic atheism)[1][2][3]
Signature

Jawaharlal Nehru (IPA: [dʒəʋaːɦərˈlaːl ˈneːɦru] ( listen), Hindi: जवाहरलाल नेहरू;‎ 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964^[4]), often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian lawyer, politician and statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India (1947–64) and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the 1930s and ’40s. Nehru was elected by the Indian National Congress to assume office as independent India's first Prime Minister, and re-elected when the Congress Party won India's first general election in 1951 and 1952. Nehru contributed to the establishment of a parliamentary democracy in India and was one of the founders of the international Non-Aligned Movement.

The son of moderate nationalist leader and Congressman Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru became a leader of the left wing of the Congress when fairly young. Rising to become Congress President under the mentorship of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Nehru was a charismatic leader, advocating complete independence for India from the British Empire. Throughout his life, Nehru advocated Democratic Socialism/Fabian Socialism and a strong public sector as the means by which economic development could be pursued by poorer nations. He was the father of Indira Gandhi and the maternal grandfather of Rajiv Gandhi, who would later serve as the third and sixth Prime Ministers of India respectively.

Early life and career[link]

The Nehru family. Standing (L to R) are Jawaharlal Nehru, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Krishna Hutheesing, Indira Gandhi, and Ranjit Pandit. Seated: Swaroop Rani, Motilal Nehru and Kamala Nehru (c. 1927).

Jawaharlal Nehru at Harrow, where he was also known as Joe Nehru.

Jawaharlal Nehru was born to Motilal Nehru (1861–1931) and Swaroop Rani (1863–1954) in a Kashmiri Pandit family in Allahabad, North-Western Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), British India. He was educated in India and Britain. In England, he attended the independent boys' school Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. During his time in Britain, Nehru was also known as Joe Nehru.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

On 7 February 1916, Nehru married sixteen-year-old Kamala Kaul. In the first year of the marriage, Kamala gave birth to their only child, Indira Priyadarshini. Much modern speculation has revolved around whether, during the final days of the British in India, Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, were romantically involved.^[11]

Life and career[link]

Lord Mountbatten swears in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of free India at the ceremony held at 8.30 am IST on 15 August 1947

Nehru raised the flag of independent India in New Delhi on 15 August 1947, the day India gained Independence. Nehru's appreciation of the virtues of parliamentary democracy, secularism and liberalism, coupled with his concerns for the poor and underprivileged, are recognised to have guided him in formulating socialist policies that influence India to this day. They also reflect the socialist origins of his worldview. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, and grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, also served as Prime Ministers of India.

Successor to Gandhi[link]

On 15 January 1941 Gandhi said, "Some say Pandit Nehru and I were estranged. It will require much more than difference of opinion to estrange us. We had differences from the time we became co-workers and yet I have said for some years and say so now that not Rajaji but Jawaharlal will be my successor."^[12]

Political apprenticeship[link]

Teen Murti Bhavan, Nehru's residence as Prime Minister, now a museum in his memory.

Nehru and his colleagues had been released as the British Cabinet Mission arrived to propose plans for transfer of power.

Once elected, Nehru headed an interim government, which was impaired by outbreaks of communal violence and political disorder, and the opposition of the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who were demanding a separate Muslim state of Pakistan. After failed bids to form coalitions, Nehru reluctantly supported the partition of India, according to a plan released by the British on 3 June 1947. He took office as the Prime Minister of India on 15 August, and delivered his inaugural address titled "A Tryst With Destiny"

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity."^[13]

However, this period was marked with intense communal violence. This violence swept across the Punjab region, Delhi, Bengal and other parts of India. Nehru conducted joint tours^{[citation needed]} with Pakistani leaders to encourage peace and calm angry and disillusioned refugees. Nehru would work with Maulana Azad and other Muslim leaders to safeguard and encourage Muslims to remain in India. The violence of the time deeply affected Nehru, who called for a ceasefire^{[citation needed]} and UN intervention to stop the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Fearing communal reprisals, Nehru also hesitated in supporting the annexation of Hyderabad State. Jaswant Singh, a senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), viewed Nehru, not Mohammad Ali Jinnah, as causing the partition of India, mostly referring to his highly centralised policies for an independent India in 1947, which Jinnah opposed in favour of a more decentralised India. The split between the two was among the causes of partition. It is believed that personal animosity between the two leaders led to the partition of India.^[14][15]

In the years following independence, Nehru frequently turned to his daughter Indira to look after him and manage his personal affairs. Under his leadership, the Congress won an overwhelming majority in the elections of 1952. Indira moved into Nehru's official residence to attend to him and became his constant companion in his travels across India and the world. Indira would virtually become Nehru's chief of staff.

Nehru's study in Teen Murti Bhavan.

Economic policies[link]

Nehru presided over the introduction of a modified, Indian version of state planning and control over the economy. Creating the Planning commission of India, Nehru drew up the first Five-Year Plan in 1951, which charted the government's investments in industries and agriculture. Increasing business and income taxes, Nehru envisaged a mixed economy in which the government would manage strategic industries such as mining, electricity and heavy industries, serving public interest and a check to private enterprise. Nehru pursued land redistribution and launched programmes to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers to increase agricultural production. He also pioneered a series of community development programs aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and increasing efficiency into rural India. While encouraging the construction of large dams (which Nehru called the "new temples of India"), irrigation works and the generation of hydroelectricity, Nehru also launched India's programme to harness nuclear energy.

For most of Nehru's term as prime minister, India would continue to face serious food shortages despite progress and increases in agricultural production. Nehru's industrial policies, summarised in the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956, encouraged the growth of diverse manufacturing and heavy industries,^[16] yet state planning, controls and regulations began to impair productivity, quality and profitability. Although the Indian economy enjoyed a steady rate of growth at 2.5% per annum (mocked by leftist economist Raj Krishna as a "Hindu rate of growth"), chronic unemployment amidst widespread poverty continued to plague the population.ff

Education and social reform[link]

Jawaharlal Nehru was a passionate advocate of education for India's children and youth, believing it essential for India's future progress. His government oversaw the establishment of 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. Nehru also outlined a commitment in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education to all of India's children. For this purpose, Nehru oversaw the creation of mass village enrollment programmes and the construction of thousands of schools. Nehru also launched initiatives such as the provision of free milk and meals to children in order to fight malnutrition. Adult education centres, vocational and technical schools were also organised for adults, especially in the rural areas.

Under Nehru, the Indian Parliament enacted many changes to Hindu law to criminalize caste discrimination and increase the legal rights and social freedoms of women^{[18][19][20][21]}

A system of reservations in government services and educational institutions was created to eradicate the social inequalities and disadvantages faced by peoples of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Nehru also championed secularism and religious harmony, increasing the representation of minorities in government. D. D. Kosambi, a well-known Marxist historian, criticized Nehru in his article for the bourgeoisie class exploitation of Nehru's socialist ideology.^[22]

Anti Hindu Image[link]

Both Nehru and his father Motilal(of Swaraj Party) were termed anti-hindu by many noted leaders many of who dont even belong to far right organisation. Though Nehruvians try to focus his social reforms specially for Hindu Women but the same congress party and Nehru did not dare to change or interfere in the Muslim Personal laws. Recently Supreme Court of India while praising Hindus for their tolerance noted that Hindu did not react severely to changes and many of them accepted reforms whereas Congress Party and Nehru followers allowed Muslim Personal Law to continue which gives almost no right to any Muslim Women regarding Divorce, alimony etc.^[23]. Leaders such as Madan Mohan Malviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Morarji Desai and Vallabh Bhai Patel termed the Nehru family typically "Anti Hindu". ^[24]. His double speak was exposed when though he was "proud" of being secular but he remained in close touch with Sheikh Abdullah who was a core anti-hindu. Many leaders publicly termed Nehru family a muslim family who eat beef and is using their fake Kashmiri Pandit identity to get votes from Upper caste Hindus.^[25]. In 1951 he advised India's first President Rajendra Prasad not to inaugrate Somnath Temple, completely rejecting the "Anti-Hindu" advice of Nehru , Mr Prasad Inaugrated the temple and mentioned that secularism dont means "Rejecting Your Own Religion , it only means not to discriminate on the basis of religion". Sardar Patel was another congress leader who publicly criticized Nehru and himself went to Somnath to tackle the typical anti-hindu comments of Nehru.^[26]

Indo-Sino War[link]

Indo-Sino war was the biggest jolt to Nehru's image, it further strengthened Hindu Nationalists opinion that Nehru is a "Spineless Leader" who cannot lead India succesfully. Nehruvians in the past three four decades have tried to wipe out all the views who represent Nehru in extremely poor light. But many of the distinguished intellectuals many of them having no links with Hindu Organisation have publicly criticized Nehru Policies. General KS Thimayya and Cariappa both of them being India's top general with Thimayya being the only Indian(Undivided India) who was given the post of Brigadier during British Empire rule in World War criticized Nehru for his double speak and weak Character. He further expressed shock over the violations of rules through which he installed BM Kaul a novice army officer who served in the Engineers regiment as the chief of army during 1962 war. Many of the letters and documents have been suppressed by the Nehruvians and Gandhians who just cant listen the criticism of their "Gods". However almost all the senior army officials noted the weak leadership of Nehru as the chief reason for India's defeat. Nehru claimed that India will emerge as a non-violent country hence it dont need any army but this day-dreaming of Nehru was busted when Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1947 using proxy soldiers in the disguise of Tribal militia.^[27][28]

National security and foreign policy[link]

Nehru led newly independent India from 1947 to 1964, during its first years of freedom from British rule. Both the United States and the Soviet Union competed to make India an ally throughout the Cold War.

On the international scene, Nehru was a champion of pacifism and a strong supporter of the United Nations. He pioneered the policy of non-alignment and co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement of nations professing neutrality between the rival blocs of nations led by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Recognising the People's Republic of China soon after its founding (while most of the Western bloc continued relations with the Republic of China), Nehru argued for its inclusion in the United Nations and refused to brand the Chinese as the aggressors in their conflict with Korea.^[29] He sought to establish warm and friendly relations with China in 1950, and hoped to act as an intermediary to bridge the gulf and tensions between the communist states and the Western bloc.

Meanwhile, Nehru had promised in 1948 to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir under the auspices of the UN but, as Pakistan failed to pull back troops in accordance with the UN resolution and as Nehru grew increasingly wary of the UN, he declined to hold a plebiscite in 1953. He ordered the arrest of the Kashmiri politician Sheikh Abdullah, whom he had previously supported but now suspected of harbouring separatist ambitions; Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad replaced him.

His policy of pacifism and appeasement with respect to China also came unraveled when border disputes led to the Sino-Indian war in 1962.

Nehru was hailed by many for working to defuse global tensions and the threat of nuclear weapons.^[30] He commissioned the first study of the human effects of nuclear explosions, and campaigned ceaselessly for the abolition of what he called "these frightful engines of destruction." He also had pragmatic reasons for promoting de-nuclearisation, fearing that a nuclear arms race would lead to over-militarisation that would be unaffordable for developing countries such as his own.^[31]

In 1956 he had criticised the joint invasion of the Suez Canal by the British, French and Israelis. Suspicion and distrust cooled relations between India and the U.S., which suspected Nehru of tacitly supporting the Soviet Union. Accepting the arbitration of the UK and World Bank, Nehru signed the Indus Water Treaty in 1960 with Pakistani ruler Ayub Khan to resolve long-standing disputes about sharing the resources of the major rivers of the Punjab region.

"We, who for generations had talked about and attempted in everything a peaceful way and practiced non-violence, should now be, in a sense, glorifying our army, navy and air force. It means a lot. Though it is odd, yet it simply reflects the oddness of life. Though life is logical, we have to face all contingencies, and unless we are prepared to face them, we will go under. There was no greater prince of peace and apostle of non-violence than Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, whom we have lost, but yet, he said it was better to take the sword than to surrender, fail or run away. We cannot live carefree assuming that we are safe. Human nature is such. We cannot take the risks and risk our hard-won freedom. We have to be prepared with all modern defense methods and a well-equipped army, navy and air force."^[32][33]

Nuclear weapons program[link]

Nehru envisioned the developing of nuclear weapons and established the Atomic Energy Commission of India (AEC) in 1948.^[34] Nehru also called Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, a nuclear physicist, who was entrusted with complete authority over all nuclear related affairs and programs and answered only to Nehru himself.^[34] Indian nuclear policy was set by unwritten personal understanding between Nehru and Bhabha.^[34] Nehru famously said to Bhabha, "Professor Bhabha take care of Physics, leave international relation to me".^[34] From the outset in 1948, Nehru had high ambition to developed this program to stand against the industrialized states and the basis of this program was to establish an Indian nuclear weapons capability as part of India's regional superiority to other South-Asian states, most particularly Pakistan.^[34]

Nehru also told Bhabha, later it was told by Bhabha to Raja Rammanna that,

"We must have the capability. We should first prove ourselves and then talk of Gandhi, non-violence and a world without nuclear weapons.^[34] "

Final years[link]

Nehru had led the Congress to a major victory in the 1957 elections, but his government was facing rising problems and criticism. Disillusioned by intra-party corruption and bickering, Nehru contemplated resigning but continued to serve. The election of his daughter Indira as Congress President in 1959 aroused criticism for alleged nepotism^{[citation needed]}, although actually Nehru had disapproved of her election, partly because he considered it smacked of "dynastism"; he said, indeed it was "wholly undemocratic and an undesirable thing", and refused her a position in his cabinet.^[35] Indira herself was at loggerheads with her father over policy; most notably, she used his oft-stated personal deference to the Congress Working Committee to push through the dismissal of the Communist Party of India government in the state of Kerala, over his own objections.^[35] Nehru began to be frequently embarrassed by her ruthlessness and disregard for parliamentary tradition, and was "hurt" by what he saw as an assertiveness with no purpose other than to stake out an identity independent of her father.^[4]

Although the Pancha Sila (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence) was the basis of the 1954 Sino-Indian border treaty, in later years, Nehru's foreign policy suffered through increasing Chinese assertiveness over border disputes and Nehru's decision to grant political asylum to the 14th Dalai Lama. After years of failed negotiations, Nehru authorized the Indian Army to liberate Goa in 1961 from Portuguese occupation, and then he formally annexed it to India. It increased his popularity, but he was criticized for the use of military force.

In the 1962 elections, Nehru led the Congress to victory yet with a diminished majority. Opposition parties ranging from the right-wing Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Swatantra Party, socialists and the Communist Party of India performed well.

Prime Minister Nehru talks with United Nations General Assembly President Romulo (October 1949).

From 1959, in a process that accelerated in 1961, Nehru adopted the "Forward Policy" of setting up military outposts in disputed areas of the Sino-Indian border, including in 43 outposts in territory not previously controlled by India.^[36] China attacked some of these outposts, and thus the Sino-Indian War began, which India technically lost, but China gained no territory as it withdrew to pre-war lines. The war exposed the weaknesses of India's military, and Nehru was widely criticised for his government's insufficient attention to defence. In response, Nehru sacked the defence minister Krishna Menon and sought U.S. military aid, but Nehru's health began declining steadily, and he spent months recuperating in Kashmir through 1963. Some historians attribute this dramatic decline to his surprise and chagrin over the Sino-Indian War, which he perceived as a betrayal of trust.^[37] Upon his return from Kashmir in May 1964, Nehru suffered a stroke and later a heart attack. He was "taken ill in early hours" of 27 May 1964 and died in "early afternoon" on same day, and his death was announced to Lok Sabha at 1400 local time; cause of death is believed to be heart attack.^[38] Nehru was cremated in accordance with Hindu rites at the Shantivana on the banks of the Yamuna River, witnessed by hundreds of thousands of mourners who had flocked into the streets of Delhi and the cremation grounds.

Legacy[link]

Bust of Nehru at Aldwych, London

As India's first Prime minister and external affairs minister, Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in shaping modern India's government and political culture along with sound foreign policy. He is praised for creating a system providing universal primary education^{[citation needed]}, reaching children in the farthest corners of rural India. Nehru's education policy is also credited for the development of world-class educational institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences,^[39] Indian Institutes of Technology,^[40] and the Indian Institutes of Management.

In addition, Nehru's stance as an unfailing nationalist led him to also implement policies which stressed commonality among Indians while still appreciating regional diversities. This proved particularly important as post-Independence differences surfaced since British withdrawal from the subcontinent prompted regional leaders to no longer relate to one another as allies against a common adversary. While differences of culture and, especially, language threatened the unity of the new nation, Nehru established programs such as the National Book Trust and the National Literary Academy which promoted the translation of regional literatures between languages and also organized the transfer of materials between regions. In pursuit of a single, unified India, Nehru warned, "Integrate or perish."^[42]

Commemoration[link]

Nehru distributes sweets among children at Nongpoh, Meghalaya

Jawaharlal Nehru on a 1989 USSR commemorative stamp.

In his lifetime, Jawaharlal Nehru enjoyed an iconic status in India and was widely admired across the world for his idealism and statesmanship. His birthday, 14 November, is celebrated in India as Baal Divas ("Children's Day") in recognition of his lifelong passion and work for the welfare, education and development of children and young people. Children across India remember him as Chacha Nehru (Uncle Nehru). Nehru remains a popular symbol of the Congress Party which frequently celebrates his memory. Congress leaders and activists often emulate his style of clothing, especially the Gandhi cap and the "Nehru Jacket", and his mannerisms. Nehru's ideals and policies continue to shape the Congress Party's manifesto and core political philosophy. An emotional attachment to his legacy was instrumental in the rise of his daughter Indira to leadership of the Congress Party and the national government.

Nehru's personal preference for the sherwani ensured that it continues to be considered formal wear in North India today; aside from lending his name to a kind of cap, the Nehru jacket is named in his honour due to his preference for that style.

Numerous public institutions and memorials across India are dedicated to Nehru's memory. The Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi is among the most prestigious universities in India. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port near the city of Mumbai is a modern port and dock designed to handle a huge cargo and traffic load. Nehru's residence in Delhi is preserved as the Teen Murti House now has Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and one of five Nehru Planetariums that were set in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Allahabad and Pune. The complex also houses the offices of the 'Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund', established in 1964 under the Chairmanship of Dr S. Radhakrishnan, then President of India. The foundation also gives away the prestigious 'Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fellowship', established in 1968.^[43] The Nehru family homes at Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan are also preserved to commemorate Nehru and his family's legacy.

In popular culture[link]

Many documentaries about Nehru's life have been produced. He has also been portrayed in fictionalised films. The canonical performance is probably that of Roshan Seth, who played him three times: in Richard Attenborough's 1982 film Gandhi, Shyam Benegal's 1988 television series Bharat Ek Khoj, based on Nehru's The Discovery of India, and in a 2007 TV film entitled The Last Days of the Raj.^[44] In Ketan Mehta's film Sardar, Nehru was portrayed by Benjamin Gilani. Girish Karnad's historical play, Tughlaq (1962) is an allegory about the Nehruvian era. It was staged by Ebrahim Alkazi with National School of Drama Repertory at Purana Qila, Delhi in 1970s and later at the Festival of India, London in 1982.^[45][46]

Writings[link]

Nehru was a prolific writer in English and wrote a number of books, such as The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, and his autobiography, Toward Freedom.

Awards[link]

In 1955 Nehru was awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.^[47]

See also[link]

• Glimpses of World History written by Jawaharlal Nehru
• Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
• Letters from a Father to His Daughter a collection of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira.
• List of political families
• Nehru jacket
• The Discovery of India written by Jawaharlal Nehru
• Tryst with destiny the historic speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru, considered in modern India to be a landmark oration that captures the essence of the triumphant culmination of the hundred-year Indian freedom struggle against the British Empire in India.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

• A Tryst With Destiny historic speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru on 14 August 1947
• Nehru: The Invention of India by Shashi Tharoor (November 2003) Arcade Books ISBN 1-55970-697-X
• Jawaharlal Nehru (Edited by S. Gopal and Uma Iyengar) (July 2003) The Essential Writings of Jawaharlal Nehru Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-565324-6
• Autobiography:Toward freedom, Oxford University Press
• Jawaharlal Nehru: Life and work by M. Chalapathi Rau, National Book Club (1 January 1966)
• Jawaharlal Nehru by M. Chalapathi Rau. [New Delhi] Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India [1973]
• Letters from a father to his daughter by Jawaharlal Nehru, Children's Book Trust
• Nehru: A Political Biography by Michael Brecher (1959). London:Oxford University Press.
• After Nehru, Who by Welles Hangen (1963). London: Rupert Hart-Davis.
• Nehru: The Years of Power by Geoffrey Tyson (1966). London: Pall Mall Press.
• Independence and After: A collection of the more important speeches of Jawaharlal Nehru from September 1946 to May 1949 (1949). Delhi: The Publications Division, Government of India.
• Joseph Stanislaw and Daniel A. Yergin (1988). "Commanding Heights". New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/pdf/prof_jawaharla.pdf. 
• "The Challenge to Indian Nationalism." by Selig S. Harrison Foreign Affairs vol. 34, no. 2 (1956): 620–636.
• “Nehru, Jawaharlal.” by Ainslie T. Embree, ed., and the Asia Society. Encyclopedia of Asian History. Vol. 3. Charles Scribner’s Sons. New York. (1988): 98–100.
• “Nehru: The Great Awakening.” by Robert Sherrod. Saturday Evening Post vol. 236, no. 2 (19 January 1963): 60–67.

External links[link]

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• Lord Mountbatten's daughter recalls Nehru
• Jawahar Lal Nehru's Biography
• Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Nehru biography at Harappa.com
• India Today's profile of Nehru
• Nehru's legacy to India
• Nehru on Communalism
• 12 Indians who are famous in Russia
• Jawaharlal Nehru Quotations
• Booknotes interview with Stanley Wolpert on Nehru: A Tryst with Destiny, December 29, 1996.

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Rajagopalachari (1954) C. V. Raman (1954) Bhagwan Das (1955) Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya (1955) Jawaharlal Nehru (1955) Govind Ballabh Pant (1957) Dhondo Keshav Karve (1958) Bidhan Chandra Roy (1961) Purushottam Das Tandon (1961) Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1962) Dr. Zakir Hussain (1963) Pandurang Vaman Kane (1963) Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966) Indira Gandhi (1971) V. V. Giri (1975) K. Kamaraj (1976) Mother Teresa (1980) Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1983) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) M. G. Ramachandran (1988) B. R. Ambedkar (1990) Nelson Mandela (1990) Rajiv Gandhi (1991) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1991) Morarji Desai (1991) Abul Kalam Azad (1992) J. R. D. Tata (1992) Satyajit Ray (1992) A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1997) Gulzarilal Nanda (1997) Aruna Asaf Ali (1997) M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998) Chidambaram Subramaniam (1998) Jayaprakash Narayan (1998) Ravi Shankar (1999) Amartya Sen (1999) Gopinath Bordoloi (1999) Lata Mangeshkar (2001) Bismillah Khan (2001) Bhimsen Joshi (2008)