CONTENTS

1. Acharya Vinoba Bhave
2. Padma Awards

Acharya Vinoba Bhave

Context:

Recently, the Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his Jayanti, 11th September.

Relevance:

GS I: History

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Acharya Vinoba Bhave
2. Role in Freedom Struggle
3. Role in Social Work

Acharya Vinoba Bhave

• Original name: Vinayak Narahari Bhave
• Birth: September 11, 1895, in a Chitpavan Brahmin family at Gagoda village of the Konkan area of Maharashtra.
• Along with reading the texts, he studied Sanskrit and a number of regional languages.
• The “Kannada” script was referred to as the “Queen of World Scripts” or “Vishwa Lipigala Raani” by Vinoba Bhave.
• He is considered as India’s National Teacher.
• Bhave committed his life to religious work and the fight for liberation, keeping his vow of celibacy throughout.
• Died in 1982, Wardha, Maharashtra.

Role in Freedom Struggle:

• In 1918, Bhave burned his books rather than showing up for an exam in Bombay.
  • After reading an article by Mahatma Gandhi, something transpired.
  • He was a devoted supporter of Gandhi.
• Gandhi in India chose Bhave to be the “First Individual Satyagrahi” against the British Raj in 1940.
• Bhave was crucial to the movement to Quit India.

Role in Social Work

Bhoodan Movement 1951: 

• At Pochampally in Telangana, Vinoba Bhave launched the Bhoodan Movement, a land donation movement.
• He obtained given land from Indian landowners and distributed it to the underprivileged and landless so they might cultivate it.

Gramdan:

• Then after 1954, he started to ask for donations of whole villages in a programme he called Gramdan. 
• He got more than 1000 villages by way of donation. Out of these, he obtained 175 donated villages in Tamil Nadu alone.

 Brahma Vidya Mandir: 

• It is a tiny community for women that was established as part of Bhave’s ashrams in order for them to become independent and non-violent in a community.
• This group farms to provide for themselves, but they follow Gandhi’s principles for food production, which include social justice and sustainability.

Sarvodaya Movement:

• Vinoba observed the life of the average Indian living in a village and tried to find solutions for the problems he faced with a firm spiritual foundation. This formed the core of his Sarvodaya movement.
  • Sarvodaya is Gandhi’s most important social political movement. Like Satyagraha, it too is a combination of two terms, Sarva ­ meaning one and all, and Uday ­ meaning welfare or uplift. The conjunction thus implies Universal uplift or welfare of all as the meaning of Sarvodaya.
• Although Sarvodaya was a social ideology in its fundamental form, India’s immediate post ­independence requirement demanded that it be transformed into an urgent political doctrine. 

Some of his works:-

• The essence of Quran
• The essence of Christian teachings
• Thoughts on education
• Swarajya Sastra
• Geeta Pravachane,
• Teesri Shakti or The Third Power

Padma Awards

Context:

Online nominations/recommendations for the Padma Awards 2024 to be announced on the occasion of Republic Day, 2024 have opened on 1st May 2023. The last date for nominations for Padma Awards is 15th September, 2023.

Relevance:

Facts for Prelims

Dimensions of the Article:

1. The Padma Awards
2. About Bharat Ratna

The Padma Awards

• The Padma Awards are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day (26th January).
• There are 3 Padma Awards:
  • Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service),
  • Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order) and
  • Padma Shri (distinguished service).
• The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
• The Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.

Is it a title?

• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.
• Article 18 clause 1- Abolishes titles and makes four provisions in that regard: It prohibits the state from conferring any title (except a military or academic distinction) on anybody, whether a citizen or a foreigner.

About Bharat Ratna

• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country.
• Bharat Ratna is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
  • Recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India.
  • Only 3 Bharat Ratna Awards can be given in a year.

Therefore:

• Bharat Ratna- 1st degree of honour
• Padma Vibhushan- 2nd degree of honour
• Padma Bhushan- 3rd degree of honour
• Padma Shri- 4th degree of honour