Good Governance Day 2022

Tags: Important Days

Every year 25 December is observed as Good Governance Day to mark the birth anniversary of the 10th Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The day is celebrated so as to ensure that the citizens of the country are treated fairly by the government and the various government services shall be made available to them fairly.

The purpose of Good Governance Day is to increase public access to various government programmes and services via good governance. It was established with the slogan "Good Governance through e-Governance."

Background to the day 

In 2014 the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that from now on 25 December will be observed as ‘Good Governance Day’ in the memory of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee was born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

He has been the prime Minister of India three times. 

He became the Prime Minister for the first time on 16 May 1996 and had to resign on 1 June 1996.  He was the Prime Minister for the second time from 19 March 1998 – 13 October 1999.

He became the Prime Minister for the third time from 13 October 1999 – 22 May 2004.

Unique facts about Vajpayee

He was the first person to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Hindi. As an External Affairs Minister he spoke in Hindi at the 32nd Session of the UNGA in 1977. 

He also holds the distinction of being the prime minister of India for the shortest time, 16 days in 1996.

He was the first Prime Minister against whom a no- confidence motion was passed in the Lok Sabha. He lost the no confidence vote by 1 vote in 1999.

He was awarded India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna on 27 March 2015.