The Ministry of Education recently introduced several initiatives under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) scheme to honour Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was first announced in 2015 by the Prime Minister to commemorate the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a pivotal figure in India’s history. The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas honours this statesman and marks his birth anniversary.
Overview of the Initiatives
Several initiatives have been launched under EBSB, most notably Bhasha Sangam. This program, designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), aims to teach basic sentences used in day-to-day life in 22 Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The goal of the initiative is for individuals to acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language other than their mother tongue. Bhasha Sangam can be accessed through DIKSHA, ePathshala and also from 22 booklets.
Additionally, two mobile applications have been unveiled: the Bhasha Sangam Mobile App and the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) Quiz App.
The Vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
This scheme was initiated in 2015 by the Ministry of Education with the objective of promoting interactions among people from different states and union territories. The aim is to foster mutual understanding, bonding and appreciation of diverse cultures, thereby fortifying unity and integrity within India.
Each state or union territory pairs up with another for a specified period, exchanging cultural, culinary and literary experiences amongst others.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: A Brief Sketch
Born on October 31st, 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is widely remembered as the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. A significant fixture in the Constituent Assembly of India, he headed numerous committees such as the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
A staunch advocate for farmer’s rights, he became synonymous with the Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928), integrating these causes with the national freedom movement. He was accordingly christened ‘Sardar’, meaning ‘a Chief or a Leader’ by the women of Bardoli.
Popularly known as the “Iron Man of India”, he played a crucial role in the unification and integration of Indian princely states into the Indian federation. He ardently urged the people of India to unite and believed in the vision of a ‘Shresth Bharat’.
This ideology resonates with the contemporary Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which seeks to make India self-reliant. He is affectionately remembered as the ‘Patron Saint of India’s Civil Servants’ for establishing the modern all-India services system.
In 2018, the government unveiled the Statue of Unity in Patel’s honour in Gujarat. Today, his legacy continues to inspire the nation and serves as the guiding force behind initiatives such as Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
