Focus: GS I- Modern History
Why in News?
The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on his Jayanti.
About Jagjivan Ram:
Early Life and Education
- Born on April 5, 1908, in Chandwa, Bihar to a Dalit family
- His father served in the British army before acquiring farming land in their hometown
- Attended school in Arrah where he first encountered discrimination
Activism and Political Career
- Met scholar Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1925 and joined Banaras Hindu University
- Assisted with the formation of the All-India Depressed Classes League in 1935
- Joined the Congress Party and became a spokesperson for the Depressed Classes
- Proposed in 1935 that drinking water wells and temples be open to untouchables
- Imprisoned during the Quit India Movement
- Became the youngest minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s provisional government
- Appointed as the country’s first labour minister after independence
- A member of Parliament from 1936 to 1986, setting a world record
- Also holds the record for being the longest-serving cabinet minister in India, serving for 30 years
Legacy and Recognition
- Champion of social equality and equal rights for the Depressed Classes
- Passed away on July 6, 1986
- Memorial at his cremation place named ‘Samata Sthal’
