Good Governance Day: December 25
Every year Good Governance Day is celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Good Governance Day was established in 2014.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- He served as Prime Minister between 1998 and 1999, and also between 1999 and 2004. He was elected to the Indian Parliament more than ten times. This includes to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He served as the external affairs minister in the Prime Minister Moraji Desai cabinet.
- During his tenure, Pokhran-II nuclear test was conducted.
India fought Kargil war during his tenure. - In 2015, he was conferred with India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.
2001 Parliament Attack
The Parliament was attacked on December 13, 2001 by a group of masked men during the tenure of Vajpayee as the PM. He ordered Indian troops to be mobilised for war along the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan too responded by mobilising its own troops. A huge threat of war loomed between the countries. However, with international mediation the countries withdrew their troops.
In 2002, Vajpayee Government passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act following the attack. The act was passed by the Parliament of India in a joint session. It aimed to strengthen anti-terrorism activities in the country. The act replaced the Prevalence of Terrorism Ordinance of 2001 and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. There were huge concerns that the act could be misused as it provided huge powers to the government authorities in investigating a suspect.
Major Schemes launched
During the tenure of Vajpayee, the major successful schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and National Highways Development Project. Also, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan that aims to improve quality of education in primary and secondary schools were launched during his tenure.
Legacy
The world longest tunnel at Rohtang located on the Leh-Manali highway was named as Atal Tunnel. The third longest cable stayed bridge in India located over the Mandovi river has been named as Atal Setu. Also, the Government of Chhattisgarh changed the name of Navya Raipur to Atal Nagar.
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Month: Current Affairs - December, 2020