Good Governance Day Observed Across the Nation

Good Governance Day or ‘Suhshashan Diwas’ is observed annually on December 25th, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Mr Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the people of accountability in government. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM of India from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. He was also Prime Minister for a short period in 1996. In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) observed the day as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Diwas and will commemorate 15 years of the launch of the rural roads scheme by PM Vajpayee in 2000. Minister for Rural Development Chaudhary Birender Singh released a compendium of good rural roads built under the scheme, as well as a booklet, and a dossier on December 25 to celebrate 15 years of operation of the scheme.

In keeping with this principle, the Good Governance Day has been declared to be a working day for the government.

The purpose of observing this day is:

1. Building transparent and responsible administration

2. Ensuring the welfare of Aam Admi

3. Devising good and effective policies for good governance

4. To give a corruption-free administration to the people.

Political Career of Mr Bajpai-

Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh Vajpayee has a long parliamentary experience spanning over four decades. He was first elected to parliament in 1957 and was an active member of the parliament till 2004, when he was relected from Lucknow for a record 5th time.  He was elected to the 5th, 6th and 7th Lok Sabha and again to the 10th, 11th 12th and 13th Lok Sabha and to Rajya Sabha in 1962 and 1986. He is the only parliamentarian elected from four different States at different times – UP, Gujarat, MP and Delhi.