Celebrated on April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Celebrated on April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar or BR Ambedkar - a social reformer, economist and jurist - who gave India its Constitution. Fondly called Baba Saheb, Ambedkar campaigned against social discrimination against untouchables and also supported the rights of women and labourers. He was the force behind the Dalit Buddhist Movement in India. For this reason, he is revered as a Dalit icon. "I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved," Dr Ambedkar had said, as quoted in The Ultimate Book of Quotations. In 1990, Ambedkar was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

Ambedkar Jayanti

Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is an annual festival observed on 14 April to commemorate the memory of B. R. Ambedkar. It marks Ambedkar's birthday in 1891 and since 2015 is an official public holiday throughout India.  Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated not only in India but nearby also in all world.

Ambedkar Jayanti processions are carried out by his followers at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai and Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur. It is a customary for senior national figures, such as the President, Prime Minister and leaders of major political parties, to pay homage at the statue of Ambedkar at the Parliament of India in New Delhi. It is celebrated throughout the world especially by Dalits who embraced Buddhism after his example. In India, large numbers of people visit local statues commemorating Ambedkar in procession with lot of fanfare.

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Untouchables (Dalits), while also supporting the rights of women and labour. He was Independent India's first law minister, the principal architect of the Constitution of India and a founding father of the Republic of India.

Ambedkar was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the London School of Economics, and gained a reputation as a scholar for his research in law, economics and political science. In his early career he was an economist, professor, and lawyer. His later life was marked by his political activities; he became involved in campaigning and negotiations for India's independence, publishing journals, advocating political rights and social freedom for Dalits, and contributing significantly to the establishment of the state of India. In 1956 he converted to Buddhism, initiating mass conversions of Dalits.

In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar. Ambedkar's legacy includes numerous memorials and depictions in popular culture.

Drafting India's Constitution

Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian Constitution to Rajendra Prasad on 25 November 1949.

Upon India's independence on 15 August 1947, the new Congress-led government invited Ambedkar to serve as the nation's first Law Minister, which he accepted. On 29 August, he was appointed Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, and was appointed by the Assembly to write India's new Constitution.

Granville Austin described the Indian Constitution drafted by Ambedkar as 'first and foremost a social document'. 'The majority of India's constitutional provisions are either directly arrived at furthering the aim of social revolution or attempt to foster this revolution by establishing conditions necessary for its achievement.'

The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability, and the outlawing of all forms of discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women, and won the Assembly's support for introducing a system of reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and Other Backward Class, a system akin to affirmative action. India's lawmakers hoped to eradicate the socio-economic inequalities and lack of opportunities for India's depressed classes through these measures. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the Constituent Assembly.

Economic planning

B.R. Ambedkar in 1950

Ambedkar was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in economics abroad. He argued that industrialisation and agricultural growth could enhance the Indian economy.  He stressed investment in agriculture as the primary industry of India. According to Sharad Pawar, Ambedkar’s vision helped the government to achieve its food security goal. Ambedkar advocated national economic and social development, stressing education, public hygiene, community health, residential facilities as the basic amenities. He calculated the loss of development caused by British rule.

Reserve Bank of India

Ambedkar was trained as an economist, and was a professional economist until 1921, when he became a political leader. He wrote three scholarly books on economics:

Administration and Finance of the East India Company

The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India

The Problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Its Solution

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), was based on the ideas that Ambedkar presented to the Hilton Young Commission.

Tributes

A Google Doodle was published for Ambedkar's 124th birthday.

As Per Government of Maharashtra 14th of April is observed as Knowledge Day in memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

In 2017, on the occasion of Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti, Twitter launched Dr Ambedkar emoji as a tribute to the legend.

Films

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (film), 2000 English film directed by Jabbar Patel.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (film), a 2005 Kannada film directed by Sharan Kumar Kabbur.

Yugpurush Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, 1993 Marathi film directed by Shashikant Nalavade.

Bhim Garjana, a 1990 Marathi film directed by Vijay Pawar.

Ramabai (film), a 2016 Kannada film directed by M. Ranganath.

Ramabai Bhimrao Ambedkar (film), a 2011 Marathi film directed by Prakash Jadhav.

A Journey of Samyak Buddha, a 2013 Hindi film based on Dr. Ambedkar’s book, The Buddha and His Dhamma and Navayana Buddhism.

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