Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s birthday is celebrated annually on 25 September. 2026 will see the celebration of his 110th birth anniversary. Born in 1916, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a political philosopher, author, and organizer who was a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The philosophy associated with him includes Antyodaya and Integral Humanism. 25 September has been declared as Antyodaya Diwas by the Government of India in 2014 in association with the idea of ‘touching the last man of society’.
When Is Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Jayanti Celebrated?
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Jayanti is celebrated on 25th of September every year.
In the year 2026,
- Date: 25 September 2026
- Day: Friday
- Year of Birth: 1916
- Birth Anniversary: 110th
- Place of Birth: Nagla Chandrabhan, Uttar Pradesh
- Related Festival: Antyodaya Diwas
As per the government records, 25 September is celebrated as Antyodaya Diwas for the birth anniversary of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Who was Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya?
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was an Indian political theorist, journalist, and organizer who had a major influence on the formation of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
Deendayal Upadhyaya was born on September 25, 1916, in Nagla Chandrabhan, which is located in Uttar Pradesh. Deendayal Upadhyaya had links with the RSS and went on to become a prominent organizational and ideological leader in the Jana Sangh.
He had associations with magazines such as Rashtra Dharma, Panchjanya, and Swadesh.
Upadhyaya’s political and philosophical writings revolved around the themes of society, economic organization, nationalism, and the relationship between man and society.
Why is 25 September Celebrated as Antyodaya Diwas?
Government of India declared 25 September 2014 as Antyodaya Diwas to commemorate the 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. On the same occasion, the Ministry of Rural Development renamed its programme for rural skill development programme as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
Antyodaya refers to the last person of the society in terms of development and welfare programmes. The concept has been linked with the improvement in livelihood opportunities as well as development in government programmes.
What is Antyodaya?
Antyodaya means the upliftment of the last person in general.
The concept focuses on the welfare and development of those who lie at the bottom of the social and economic ladder.
The commonly related attributes includes,
- Upliftment of the disadvantaged groups
- Development which includes everyone
- Welfare of the society
- Reduction of the deprivation
- Individual dignity and welfare
The concept has found place in the names of some government schemes such as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY). Government of India had launched Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana in 2014.
Antyodaya in Government Schemes
There are several schemes which are associated with the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and include livelihood and skills training.
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana
- The Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) has been established in 2014 to provide livelihood opportunities to poor rural and urban populations through measures such as skill development and self-employment.
DDU-GKY
- The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a scheme of rural skills development within the Ministry of Rural Development. This scheme aims at skill development of rural poor youth in terms of employment opportunities.
What Is Integral Humanism?
Integral Humanism or Ekatma Manav Darshan is the philosophical paradigm that is linked with Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
In 1965, from 22 to 25 April, he gave a lecture series on Integral Humanism in Bombay.
According to the paradigm, man needs to be considered as an integrated whole rather than just considering development in terms of materialistic or economic considerations. The paradigm deals with the connection between the individual, society, nature and the social organisation as a whole.
The key issues related to the paradigm are,
- Individual and Society
- Material and non-material aspects of life
- Development and social welfare
- Responsibilities of individuals and social organisation
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Upadhyaya was actively involved in the organisational activities of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), founded in 1951.
Upadhyaya held the position of the General Secretary in the BJS and later in 1967, he became the President of the same.
The ideologies and writings of Upadhyaya became an integral component in the ideological development of Jana Sangh, a predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
When Did Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Die?
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya died on 11 February 1968. He was discovered lying near Mughalsarai railway station in the state of Uttar Pradesh after his travel by train.
This event sparked an official investigation followed by public debate.
The former Mughalsarai railway station has been renamed to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction railway station. In 2017, the proposal to rename the station was accepted by the Union government and was done by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2018.
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