Udisha
The architect and Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, was born on April 14, 1891. Born into a poor Dalit Mahar family in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, he went on to become a social reformer and most famously advocated for the removal of the oppressive caste system. In 1990, he was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Today, we celebrate his 135th Birth Anniversary.
Early education
A dedicated fighter for equality, social reform and empowerment of the marginalised, Dr. Ambedkar had terrific educational qualifications. He did his schooling from Mumbai's Elphinstone High School, where he was the first Dalit student.
Educational qualifications
Despite societal obstacles, he went on to earn a M.A and a Ph.D. in Economics from USA's Columbia University and later, a D.Sc. in Economics from London School of Economics. He was the first ever Indian to be awarded a Doctorate in Economics from abroad.
A polyglot
Proficient in multiple languages, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a polyglot. While Marathi was his mother tongue, he was fluent in around eleven languages, including English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Pali, Gujarati, French, German among others. Extremely well-read, he was also a master in 64 subjects.
A champion of rights
A renowned jurist, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar brought significant and much-needed changes in the Indian law. Before being the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, he was a pioneer of women's and labours' rights.
Conversion to Buddhism
At the end of his life, as a protest against caste oppression in Hinduism, Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, on October 14, 1956 in Nagpur. He led a mass movement, where approximately 500,000 converted with him. Known as the Dalit Buddhist movement, this mass conversion was historic.