250th Birth Anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy to be celebrated under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava (AKAM)

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Birth Anniversary- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 1: Indian History- Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

Ministry of Culture is commemorating the 250th Birth Anniversary of Shri Raja Ram Mohan Roy from 22nd May 2022 to 22nd May 2023.
The inaugural ceremony will take place at Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, Salt Lake, Kolkata, and at Science City Auditorium, Kolkata.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative: 250th Birth Anniversary of Shri Raja Ram Mohan Roy is being celebrated under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
Statue to be Unveiled: An iconic statue of Raja Ram Mohan Roy will be unveiled by the Minister of Culture, in a virtual mode at Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata.
Other Events: Several other events will also be held at Salt Lake, Science City Auditorium, Kolkata.
- A seminar and quiz program for children will also be organized.
- A multimedia presentation on various facets of the life of Shri Raja Ram Mohan Roy will also be presented.

Birth: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born in Radhanagar, Hooghly District of Bengal Presidency in May 1772.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born into an orthodox Bengali Hindu family.
Education:
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy attained higher education in Patna, Bihar where he studied Persian and Arabic.
- Learning various Languages: Raja Ram Mohan Roy had learned Bangla, Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit along with Hindi and English.
Learning about Religions: Raja Ram Mohan Roy moved to Varanasi and studied the Vedas, the Upanishads and Hindu philosophy deeply.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy also acquired knowledge about Christianity and Islam as well.
Association with British Government: Raja Ram Mohan Roy worked in the Revenue Department of the East India Company from 1809 to 1814.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy also worked as a personal Diwan to Woodforde and Digby.
Association with Educational Institutions: Raja Ram Mohan Roy helped in establishing many educational institutions to educate Indians in Western scientific education in English. For example-
- Hindu College, (1817): Raja Ram Mohan Roy helped David Hare’s efforts to establish the Hindu College in 1817.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s English school taught mechanics and Voltaire’s philosophy. In 1822, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded a school based on English education.
- Vedanta college (1825): Vedanta College established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, offered courses in both Indian learning and Western social and physical sciences.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote a rational critique of Hindu idol worship at the age of sixteen.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy translated the Vedas and five of the Upanishads into Bengali.
Important writings: Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhiddin (a gift to deists) (1803), Gift to monotheists (1809), Kathopanishad (1816), Mundaka Upanishad (1917), Precepts of Jesus (1820), etc.
Important Journals-
- Samvad Kaumudi (1821) in Bengali: It regularly denounced sati as a barbaric act and against the tenets of Hinduism.
- The Brahmanical Magazine (1821)
- Mirat-ul-Akhbar (a Persian language journal) 1822.

About: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.
- Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political, and economic identity.
Celebrating People of India: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey.
- People of India also hold within them the power and potential to enable the Prime Minister’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Beginning of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: The official journey of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” commenced on 12th March 2021 which starts a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of Independence.
Categorize: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is envisioned to be celebrated in five categories –
- Freedom Struggle,
- Idea @75,
- Achievements @75,
- Action @75 and
- Resolve @75