Death Anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 18 Aug 2025

Why in News? 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with President Droupadi Murmu and other dignitaries, paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his seventh death anniversary (16th Aug) at his memorial, ‘Sadaiv Atal’, in New Delhi. 

Key Points About Atal Bihari Vajpayee 

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Born on 25th December, 1924 in the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior (now a part of Madhya Pradesh). 
  • He entered in national politics during the Quit India Movement (1942) which hastened the end of British colonial rule. 
• Professional Career: In 1947, Vajpayee started working as a journalist for newspapers of Deendayal Upadhyaya — Rashtradharma (a Hindi monthly), Panchjanya (a Hindi weekly) and the dailies Swadesh and Veer Arjun.  
  • Later, influenced by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Vajpayee joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. 
• Political Journey: He served as India’s Prime Minister three times (1996; 1998–2004): first term (16th May – 1st June 1996, about 13 days), second term (19th March 1998 – 13th October 1999), and third term (13th October 1999 – 22nd May 2004). 
  • He was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha. 
• Awards and Recognition: He was conferred with the country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 2015 and second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 1994. 
  • As a parliamentarian, Vajpayee was awarded with the Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Award for Best Parliamentarian in 1994, which defines him as "a role model par excellence for all legislators." 
  • His birthday is observed as Good Governance Day. 
• Demise: A revered former Prime Minister, he passed away on 16th August 2018. 
• Key Achievements: 
  • He launched the Golden Quadrilateral Project, creating a network of four national highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. 
  • Through second-generation economic reforms, he liberalized India’s economy, fostering industrial growth and attracting foreign investment. 
  • He led the nation during the Pokhran Nuclear Tests (1998), which established India as a nuclear power while emphasizing peace and non-aggression. 
  • He inaugurated Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in 2000 for better connectivity and transportation in rural India.