Birth anniversary of Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the 7th youngest Prime Minister of India on 20th August is observed as ‘SADBHAVANA DIWAS’. The theme of sadbhavana is to promote national integration and communal harmony among people of all religion and languages.

Being the youngest Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi’s thought process was modern and different from others. He had the vision of a developed nation via many national as well as international projects that he pioneered specially in IT, Telecom and Education.

Rajiv Gandhi had promulgated the National Policy of Education (NPE) which was started by Mrs. Indira Gandhi. In 1986 Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was also established during his tenure to promote adult education. In 1986, he founded Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya System, a Central government-based education institution, that provides rural populations with free residential education from grades VI to XII.

Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award is an Indian award given for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace. The award was instituted by All India Congress Committee of the Indian National Congress Party (INC), in 1992 to commemorate the lasting contribution made by the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, carries a citation and a cash award of Rs. ten lakhs. It is given on 20 August, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.