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Source: The post is based on the article “Who was Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh? All you need to know about the social reformer” published in The Times of India on 11th October 2022.
What is the News?
Recently, Nanaji Deshmukh’s birth anniversary was celebrated.
About Nanaji Deshmukh
Born in: Maharashtra in 1916.
Contribution to Education: He is believed to have established Saraswati Shishu Mandir (SSM), which runs a chain of private schools in India and is said to be the educational wing of the RSS.
He started the country’s first SSM at Gorakhpur in 1950 and was the founder of Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) situated at Chitrakoot.
He was also responsible for starting India’s first rural university, Chitarkoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya.
Role in JP movement: He played a key role in the Jaya Prakash (JP) movement against the Emergency in 1974. Deshmukh was the main force behind social activist Jayaprakash Narayan’s agitation for total revolution.
Contribution to Rural Development: Deshmukh, through Deendayal Research Institute (DRI), set up alternative rural development models based on traditional knowledge in the remote areas of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (MP).
Other reform movements: a) Desmukh actively participated in the Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba Bhave, b) Nanaji played an important role in carrying out a social restructuring programme in over 500 villages of UP and MP, and c) He carried out the reformation of agriculture and cottage industry, rural health and rural education.
Awards and recognition: He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
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