State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 16 Jun 2025

Birth Anniversary of Ram Prasad Bismil

Why in News? 

On 11th June 2025, the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil was commemorated. Renowned for his revolutionary spirit and poetic brilliance, he played a pivotal role in India's struggle against British colonial rule. 

Key Points 

• Birth and Early Life: 
  • Ram Prasad Bismil was born on 11th June 1897 in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. 
• Early Influences and Ideology: 
  • Bismil joined the Arya Samaj, founded by Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, and began writing under pen names like ‘Bismil’, meaning ‘wounded’ or ‘restless’. 
  • He embraced revolutionary ideals after reading about the death sentence awarded to Bhai Parmanand, an Arya Samaj missionary and nationalist. 
  • At the age of 18, he expressed his anguish through the powerful poem ‘Mera Janm’. 
  • He supported armed revolution, believing it to be a more effective path to independence than Gandhi’s non-violent approach. 
• Major Contributions: 
  • Mainpuri Conspiracy: 
    • Disillusioned with the Congress’s moderate stance, Bismil founded a revolutionary group named Matrivedi. 
    • He was involved in the Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, wherein the police found a few young people, including Bismil selling books that were prescribed by the government. 
    • He and his associates carried out three successful raids to loot government funds to support their cause. 
  • Formation of Hindustan Republican Association (HRA): 
    • In 1924, Bismil co-founded the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) with Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Ashfaqulla Khan, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee and Jadugopal Mukherjee. 
    • He drafted most of HRA's manifesto, envisioning a federal "United States of India" established through armed revolution. 
  • Kakori Train Action: 
    • In 1925, Bismil, along with Chandrasekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan, led the Kakori train robbery to fund revolutionary activities. 
    • They successfully looted the train near Kakori, but British authorities arrested them within a month. 
    • After an 18-month-long trial, Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh were sentenced to death under the Kakori Conspiracy Case. 
• Literary Contributions: 
  • Bismil wrote stirring patriotic poetry in Hindi and Urdu that inspired countless Indians to join the freedom struggle. 
    • Bismil’s poem ‘Sarfroshi Ki Tammana, Ab hamare Dil Me hai’ became a clarion call for the Indian Freedom movement. 
  • His works reflected deep concerns for social justice, human dignity, and equality. 
• Martyrdom: 
  • The British executed Bismil on 19th December 1927 at Gorakhpur Jail.

Note: In August 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government renamed 'Kakori Kand' to 'Kakori Train Action', stating that the word ‘Kand’ (meaning ‘incident’ or ‘scandal’) carries a negative connotation and undermines the significance of this historic act in India’s freedom struggle. 

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0 Campaign

Why in News? 

As part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched a tree plantation drive to plant 40,000 trees along the Delhi–Dehradun Corridor in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points 

• Nationwide Impact of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’: 
  • As part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ initiative, NHAI has already planted over 5.12 lakh trees along National Highways across India. 
  • The second phase was launched by the Prime Minister on World Environment Day, 5th June, 2025. 
    • It aims to honor mothers by encouraging tree planting in their names, combining environmental conservation with a tribute to motherhood, symbolizing how mothers, like trees, nurture and sustain life.  
  • The campaign envisions: 
    • Complete saturation of tree plantations along highways 
    • Involvement of multiple stakeholders including government bodies, local authorities, and communities 
    • Creation of a green, resilient, and sustainable National Highway network 
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): 
  • About: NHAI was set up under the NHAI Act, 1988 under the administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). 
  • Objective: It has been entrusted with the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), along with other minor projects for development, maintenance and management.  
    • NHDP, started in 1998,  is a project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard.  
    • Vision: To meet the nation’s need for the provision and maintenance of the National Highways network to global standards and to meet the user’s expectations in the most time-bound and cost-effective manner and promote economic well-being and quality of life of the people.