Jamini Roy's Death Anniversary

 

Jamini Roy, who passed away on 24 April 1972, aged 85, was one of the best-known Indian artists of the 20th century. In the late 1920s and early ’30s he rejected his academic training and instead developed a linear, decorative, colourful style based on Bengali folk traditions. During the 1930s and ’40s the popularity of his paintings represented the passage of modern Indian art from its European academic leanings to a renewed interest in traditional iconography and abstract forms. Roy’s subject matter ranged from the Ramayana to Christ to portraits of contemporary figures such as Mahatma Gandhi.

 

National Panchayati Raj Day

 

National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on April 24 every year in India to commemorate the historic day when the Panchayati Raj System was introduced in the country. The Panchayati Raj System is a decentralized system of governance in India, where local bodies or Gram Panchayats are given the power to govern themselves and make decisions for the development of their respective areas. This system was introduced in 1993 by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which aimed at bringing democracy at the grassroots level and empowering people in rural areas.

History

The Panchayati Raj System has its roots in ancient India, where the village council or Panchayat was the primary unit of governance. The system was revived in the early 1950s when the first National Development Council recommended the establishment of a democratic system of governance at the grassroots level. However, it was not until 1993 that the Panchayati Raj System was given a constitutional status and made mandatory for all states in India.

Significance

The Panchayati Raj System has been instrumental in bringing about significant changes in the rural landscape of India. It has given people in rural areas a voice and an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, leading to the overall development of their respective areas. The system has also helped in decentralizing power and reducing corruption at higher levels of government, as decisions are made at the local level. The system has been successful in bringing about socio-economic development, promoting social justice, and empowering women in rural areas.

International Guide Dog Day

 

International Guide Dog Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday in April each year, and this year on 24 April.  It marks the establishment of the International Federation of Guide Dog Associations on 26 April 1989. International Guide Dog Day is an opportunity to celebrate the work of guide dogs around the world and raise awareness of the importance of guide dog services to help people who are blind or have low vision live life on their terms.

International Guide Dog Day honours the work that these service dogs provide for people with visual disabilities everywhere. These dogs have skills leading a blind person around an area, assisting with a hobby, picking up dropped items, providing emotional comfort during their service and much more. This is why guide dogs are some of the best service dogs to have.

Sachin Tendulkar's Birthday

 

Sachin Tendulkar, born on 24 April 1973 in Bombay [Mumbai], is an Indian former international cricket player, considered by many to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time. In 2012 he became the first cricketer to score 100 centuries (100 runs in a single innings) in international play.

Tendulkar was given his first bat when he was 11 years of age. As a 14-year-old, he used it to score 329 out of a world-record stand of 664 in a school match. A year later he scored a century on his first-class debut for Bombay (Mumbai), and at age 16 years 205 days he became India’s youngest Test (international) cricketer, making his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989. When he was 18, he scored two centuries in Australia (148 in Sydney and 114 in Perth), and in 1994 he scored 179 against the West Indies. In August 1996, at age 23, Tendulkar was made captain of his country’s team.

Although India was defeated in the semifinals of the 1996 World Cup, Tendulkar emerged as the tournament’s top run scorer, with 523 runs. In 1998 he was chosen for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest award given to an Indian athlete, for his outstanding performance in the 1997–98 season. India was defeated by Australia in the 1999 World Cup, failing to advance past the round of six, and was soundly defeated by both Australia and South Africa in series later that year. In the 2003 World Cup, however, Tendulkar helped his team advance as far as the finals. Though India was again defeated by Australia, Tendulkar, who averaged 60.2, was named the man of the tournament.

Tendulkar made history in December 2005 when he scored his record-breaking 35th century in Test play against Sri Lanka. The feat was accomplished in a total of 125 Tests and allowed Tendulkar to surpass the prolific Indian run scorer Sunil Gavaskar. In June 2007 Tendulkar reached another major milestone when he became the first player to record 15,000 runs in one-day international (ODI) play, and in November 2011 he became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test play. One month later he scored a historic “double century” in a contest against South Africa, becoming the first man in history to record 200 runs in a single innings of ODI play. He was named the 2010 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the Year. In an ODI match against Bangladesh in March 2012, Tendulkar scored his record-setting 100th international century—which included both Test (51 centuries) and ODI (49 centuries) play. He retired from ODI cricket later that year, and in 2013 he ended a six-year stint with the Indian Premier League (as a member of the Mumbai Indians) and retired from Test cricket, ending his playing days with records for the most career international runs (34,357) and Test runs (15,921). Throughout his long career Tendulkar was consistently ranked among the game’s best batsmen. He was often likened to Australia’s Don Bradman in his single-minded dedication to scoring runs and the certainty of his strokeplay off both front and back foot.

In 2012 Tendulkar became a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament—the first active athlete to join that body; he was nominated to the post, and his term ended in 2018. In 2014 he became the first sportsman to receive India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Tendulkar was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame in 2019.