Remembering the country’s former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, tributes poured in at Gandhi’s memorial at ‘Vir Bhumi’ on Thursday morning.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes at the memorial. Also, Rajiv Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi along with husband Robert Vadra was present at ‘Vir Bhumi’ to pay their tributes.
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi became a victim of a suicide bomber in Sriperambudur in 1991. Rajiv Gandhi had gone to Tamil Nadu to campaign for the national election after casting his vote in Delhi.
Khurki looks at the seven big things that he did during his short span of five-and-a-half years as the Prime Minister of the country:
1. IT revolution
His efforts created MTNL in 1986, and his public call offices, better known as PCOs, helped spread telephones in rural areas. Internet revolution took over subsequently.
2. Reducing the voting age to 18 years
The Sixty-first Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1989 lowered the voting age of elections to the Lok Sabha and to the Legislative Assemblies of states from 21 years to 18 years.
3. Operation Blackboard under which primary education became the focus
The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya System was founded in 1986. A Central government based institution that concentrates on the upliftment of the rural section of the society providing them free residential education from 6th till 12 grade.
4. Economic liberalisation
Rajiv Gandhi improved bilateral relationships with the United States of America and subsequently expanded the economic and scientific cooperation with it. A revived foreign policy, emphasizing on the economic liberalization and information and technology moved India closer to the West.
5. Importance to youth
“India is an old country, but a young nation; and like the young everywhere we are impatient. I am young, and I too have a dream. I dream of an India strong, independent and self-reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world in the service of mankind.” – Rajiv Gandhi
6. Women empowerment
The contribution he made towards empowering the woman was tremendous.
7. India’s victory over Siachen Glacier
An effort was made during Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Islamabad on July 16, 1989, to resolve the deadlock by extending the LoC northwards. India’s offer, described by Iqbal Akhund, Pakistan’s National Security Adviser, was a fair one.
