Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head three high-level committees that the Centre has planned for the celebration of the birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and tribal icon Birsa Munda, as well as the birth centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Government of India has announced the formation of the three panels in separate gazette notifications. “To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the competent authority has approved the constitution of a High Level Committee,” a gazette notification by the Ministry of Culture, published on August 25, read.
3 panels for 3 birth anniversaries
The three panels will work on the celebration of birth anniversaries of three people. Sardar Patel, who was born on October 31, 1875, was a freedom fighter and independent India’s first home minister. Also known as the ‘Iron Man of India,’ the country celebrates his legacy with the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
Birsa Munda is a celebrated tribal icon and freedom fighter, The gazette notification by the ministry read, “To commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda, the Competent Authority has approved the constitution of a High Level Committee.”
A separate gazette states that to commemorate the 100th Birth Anniversary of Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the “Competent Authority has approved the constitution of a High Level Committee.”
Vajpayee served as India’s prime minister for three terms — first, for 13 days (May 16–June 1, 1996); second, for just over a year (1998–99; and third, for a full five-year term (1999–2004). India conducted its second nuclear tests in 1998 when his government was in power.