107-591: Ramlila Maidan also Ramlila Ground is a large ground located in New Delhi , India , traditionally used for staging the annual Ramlila . It is used for religious festivals , major political rallies and meetings, and entertainment events. It is located near New Delhi Railway Station and Delhi Gate . The Ramlila Maidan was originally a large pond before 1930. It was filled up in the early 1930s so that annual Ramlila , held in October, could be shifted here from
214-672: A Peace Pagoda in the city containing Buddha relics. It was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama . New Delhi is home to several historic sites and museums. The National Museum, which began with an exhibition of Indian art and artefacts at the Royal Academy in London in the winter of 1947–48, was later at the end was shown at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in 1949. Later it was to form a permanent National Museum. On 15 August 1949,
321-436: A quintal to the bank. In times of need, farmers could borrow the grain, but they had to return the amount of grain they borrowed, plus an additional quintal as an interest. This ensured that nobody in the village ever went hungry or had to borrow money to buy grain. This also prevented distress sales of grain at lower prices at harvest time. Ralegan Siddhi is located in the foothills, so Hazare persuaded villagers to construct
428-587: A watershed embankment and associated works to stop water and allow it to percolate and increase the ground water level and improve irrigation in the area. These efforts solved the problem of water scarcity in the village and made irrigation possible. Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugarcane was banned. Crops such as pulses , oilseeds , and certain cash crops with low water requirements replaced them. The farmers started growing high-yield varieties and changed cropping pattern. Hazare has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone regions in
535-518: A 5.2-magnitude earthquake on 5 March 2012, and a swarm of twelve earthquakes, including four of magnitudes 2.5, 2.8, 3.1, and 3.3, on 12 November 2013. The climate of New Delhi is a dry-winter humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ) bordering on a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSh ) with high variation between summer and winter in terms of both temperature and rainfall. The temperature varies from 46 °C (115 °F) in summers to around 10 °C (50 °F) in winters. The area's version of
642-590: A humid subtropical climate is noticeably different from many other cities with this climate classification in that it features long and extremely hot summers with dust storms , relatively dry and mild winters with wildfire haze , and a monsoonal period. Summers are long, extending from early April to October, with the monsoon season occurring in the middle of the summer. Winter starts in November and peaks in January. Winters are very mild. The annual mean temperature
749-457: A large area of land southwest of Lutyens' Delhi to create the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri , where land was allotted for embassies, chanceries, high commissions and residences of ambassadors, around a wide central vista, Shanti Path . With a total area of 42.7 km (16.5 sq mi), the municipality of New Delhi forms a small part of the Delhi metropolitan area. Since the city
856-520: A law whereby a government servant must clear files within a specified time, and transfers must take place only after three years. After many years of Hazare's efforts, on 25 May 2006 Maharashtra announced the Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act 2006. This act provided for disciplinary action against officials who clear files slowly, and enabled monitoring of officials who overstay
963-408: A post, and for involvement in a corrupt nexus. This act mandated the government to effect transfers of all government officers and employees, except Class IV workers, no sooner and no later than three years, except in emergency or exceptional circumstances. Maharashtra was the first state to introduce such an act. However, this law was not fully followed. Article 47 of India's Constitution commits
1070-531: A single platform at Ajmeri Gate near Paharganj , and was completed in time for the city's inauguration in 1931. As construction of the Viceroy's House (the present Rashtrapati Bhavan), Central Secretariat , Parliament House , and All-India War Memorial ( India Gate ) was winding down, the building of a shopping district and a new plaza, Connaught Place , began in 1929, and was completed by 1933. Named after Prince Arthur , 1st Duke of Connaught (1850–1942), it
1177-672: A temple thwarted its object of imparting secular education. In the early 2000s Hazare led a movement in Maharashtra state which forced the state government to enact a revised Maharashtra Right to Information Act. This Act was later considered as the base document for the Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI), enacted by the Union Government. It also ensured that the President of India assented to this new Act. On 20 July 2006
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#17327728250951284-581: A unique " Holi " ceremony twenty two years ago. The festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in a Holi fire. Tobacco, cigarettes, or beedies are no longer sold. In 1980, Hazare started the Grain Bank at the temple, with the objective of providing food security to needy farmers during times of drought or crop failure. Rich farmers, or those with surplus grain production, could donate
1391-487: A village if 25% of the women in the village demanded it. In 2009 the state government amended the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 to reflect this. It was decided to ban the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies (an unfiltered cigarette where the tobacco is rolled in tendu , also known as Coromandel ebony , leaves instead of paper) in the village. To implement this resolution, the youth group performed
1498-494: Is 774.4 millimetres (30.49 in) and monsoon rainfall from June to September is about 640.4 millimetres (25.21 in), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August. In Mercer 's 2015 annual quality-of-living survey, New Delhi ranks at number 154 out of 230 cities due to bad air quality and pollution. The World Health Organization ranked New Delhi as the world's worst polluted city in 2014 among about 1,600 cities
1605-601: Is a cultural event during which performances of musicians and dancers from all over India are showcased at night, with the Qutub Minar as the chosen backdrop of the event. Other events such as Kite Flying Festival, International Mango Festival and Vasant Panchami (the Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi. In 2007, the Japanese Buddhist organisation Nipponzan Myohoji decided to build
1712-620: Is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish corruption in public life. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan —the third-highest civilian award—by the Government of India in 1992. Hazare started a hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a stringent anti-corruption law, The Lokpal Bill, 2011 as envisaged in
1819-445: Is around 25 °C (77 °F); monthly daily mean temperatures range from approximately 13 to 34 °C (55 to 93 °F). New Delhi's highest temperature ever recorded is 49.9 °C (121.8 °F) on 28 May 2024 at Met Delhi Mungeshpur while the lowest temperature ever recorded is −2.2 °C (28.0 °F) on 11 January 1967 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (formerly known as Palam Airport ). The average annual rainfall
1926-636: Is barricaded now with entry to the inside arch restricted. The Rajpath , which was built similar to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India , located in New Delhi. The annual Republic Day parade takes place here on 26 January. The Beating retreat takes place here two days later. Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent
2033-736: Is jointly administered by both the Central Government of India and the local Government of Delhi , it is also the capital of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. New Delhi is administered through a municipal government, known as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The other urban areas of the metropolis of Delhi are administered by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Cantonment Board . As of 2015 ,
2140-748: Is located on the Indo-Gangetic Plain , there is little difference in elevation across the city. New Delhi and surrounding areas were once a part of the Aravali Range ; all that is left of those mountains is the Delhi Ridge , which is also called the Lungs of Delhi. While New Delhi lies on the floodplains of the Yamuna River , it is essentially a landlocked city. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara . New Delhi falls under
2247-564: Is still there inside the Ramlila ground as a remembrance of its history. Ramlila hosted here has been frequently visited by the members of the prominent Nehru-Gandhi Family including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi . In 1961, then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru held a public gathering welcoming Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit to India. On Republic Day , 1963 after India's defeat in Indo-China war , Lata Mangeshkar sang
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#17327728250952354-575: Is the most widely spoken language in New Delhi and the lingua franca of the city. English is primarily used as the formal language by business and government institutes. New Delhi has a literacy rate of 89.38% according to 2011 census, which is the highest in Delhi. According to 2011 census, Hinduism is the religion of 89.8% of New Delhi's population. There are also communities of Muslims (4.5%), Christians (2.9%), Sikhs (2.0%), Jains (0.4%). Other religious groups include Parsis , Buddhists , and Jews . The national capital of India, New Delhi
2461-658: The Dadar railway station in Mumbai and eventually managed to own two flower shops in the city. He also became involved in vigilantism, joining groups who acted to prevent landlords' thugs from intimidating the poor out of their shelter. Hazare was drafted into the Indian Army in April 1960, where he initially worked as an army truck driver and was later attested as a soldier. He undertook army training at Aurangabad . During
2568-474: The Delhi Police from Ramlila Maidan on 5 June 2011, while they were on a hunger strike against black money and corruption. On 6 June 2011, the civil society members wrote to Mukherjee, explaining reasons for their absence and also asking government to go public on the major issues. They also decided to attend only future meetings that were telecast live. On 8 June at Rajghat, describing his movement as
2675-704: The Delhi Sultanate , most notably of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the British Indian Empire, as India was officially named, from Calcutta on the east coast, to Delhi. The Government of British India felt that it would be logistically easier to administer India from Delhi, which is in the centre of northern India. The land for building
2782-645: The Government of India , hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan , Sansad Bhavan , and the Supreme Court . New Delhi is a municipality within the NCT, administered by the NDMC , which covers mostly Lutyens' Delhi and a few adjacent areas. The municipal area is part of a larger administrative district , the New Delhi district . Although colloquially Delhi and New Delhi are used interchangeably to refer to
2889-549: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. He was the sole survivor of an enemy attack—variously claimed to have been a bomb, an aerial assault and an exchange of fire at the border—while he was driving a truck. The experiences of wartime, coupled with the poverty from which he had come, affected him. He considered suicide at one point but instead turned to pondering
2996-468: The Jan Lokpal Bill , for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in public places. The fast led to nationwide protests in support. The fast ended on 9 April 2011, a day after the government accepted Hazare's demands. The government issued a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee, consisting of government and civil society representatives, to draft
3103-752: The McKelvey School of Engineering of Washington University in St. Louis , launched the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Facility to study air pollution in New Delhi, among other Indian cities. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India , the water quality of the Yamuna and Ganges river basins have improved as industries are closed due to the lockdown. The air quality has also significantly improved during
3210-580: The Partition of Bengal by Viceroy Curzon . This created massive political and religious upsurge including political assassinations of British officials in Calcutta. The anti-colonial sentiments among the public led to a complete boycott of British goods, which forced the colonial government to reunite Bengal and immediately shift the capital to New Delhi. Old Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of medieval India and
3317-602: The RK Puram district with an index of 852. The lowest index recorded was in the Anand Vihar district with an index of 319. Levels of PM2.5 were recorded at 710 μg/m , more than 11 times the World Health Organization 's safe limit. In a 2018 study, New Delhi was found to be the most polluted capital out of 61 capital cities around the world. In December 2019, IIT Bombay , in partnership with
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3424-663: The Sansad Marg and run parallel to the Rajpath. In the south, land up to Safdarjung's Tomb was acquired to create what is today known as Lutyens' Bungalow Zone . Before construction could begin on the rocky ridge of Raisina Hill, a circular railway line around the Council House (now Parliament House ), called the Imperial Delhi Railway , was built to transport construction material and workers for
3531-444: The caste system in India have been largely eliminated by Ralegan Siddhi villagers. It was Hazare's moral leadership that motivated and inspired the villagers to shun untouchability and caste discrimination. Marriages of Dalits are held as part of community marriage program together with those of other castes. The Dalits have become integrated into the social and economic life of the village. The upper caste villagers built houses for
3638-676: The monsoon rains, this situation was worsened by gradual environmental deterioration as trees were cut down, erosion spread and droughts were also experienced. The shortage of water also led to disease from unsanitary conditions and water reuse for multiple purposes. The economy of the village had become reliant on the illegal manufacture and sale of alcohol, a product on which many of the villagers had become dependent. Many inhabitants borrowed from moneylenders to survive, paying monthly interest rates of as much as 10%. Crime and violence (including domestic violence) had become commonplace, while education and employment opportunities were poor. Hazare
3745-830: The reti (sandy) floodplains of Yamuna River behind the Red Fort , where Hindu soldiers of the Mughal army first started staging the Ramila in the 1800s. Geographically the ground falls between the Old Delhi and the New Delhi . The historic Turkman Gate of the Old city stands nearby, and the ground stretches between Aruna Asaf Ali Marg and Jawaharlal Nehru Road . It quickly became a popular site for political meetings, with Mahatma Gandhi , Jawaharlal Nehru , Sardar Patel and other top nationalist leaders addressing rallies here. A small pond
3852-468: The seismic zone-IV , making it vulnerable to earthquakes. It lies on several fault lines and thus experiences frequent earthquakes, most of them of mild intensity. There was a spike in the number of earthquakes between 2011 and 2015, most notable being a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in 2015 with its epicentre in Nepal , a 4.7-magnitude earthquake on 25 November 2007, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake on 7 September 2011,
3959-749: The Awami Merchant Bank. Gholap resigned from the cabinet on 27 April 1999. In 2003 corruption charges were raised by Hazare against four NCP ministers of the Congress - NCP government. He started his fast unto death on 9 August 2003. He ended his fast on 17 August 2003 after then chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formed a one-man commission headed by the retired justice P. B. Sawant to probe his charges. The P. B. Sawant commission report, submitted on 23 February 2005, indicted Sureshdada Jain , Nawab Malik, and Padmasinh Patil . The report exonerated Vijaykumar Gavit. Jain and Malik resigned from
4066-658: The Delhi region to switch to compressed natural gas by 1 March 2016. Transportation vehicles that are more than 10 years old were banned from entering the capital. Analysing real-time vehicle speed data from Uber Delhi revealed that during the odd-even program, average speeds went up by a statistically significant 5.4 per cent (2.8 standard deviations from normal). This means vehicles have less idling time in traffic and vehicle engines would run closer to minimum fuel consumption. In bordering areas, PM 2.5 levels were recorded more than 400 (ug/m3) while in inner areas in Delhi, they were recorded between 150 and 210 on an average. However,
4173-554: The Indo pak war, Hazare survived a road crash while driving for the army. He interpreted his survival as a further sign that his life was intended to be dedicated to service. He had another escape in Nagaland, where one night, underground Naga rebels attacked his post and killed all the inmates. He had a miraculous escape as he had gone out to return nature's call and hence turned out to be the lone survivor. Official records show that he
4280-535: The National Capital Territory of Delhi, both are distinct entities, with the municipality and the New Delhi district forming a relatively small part within the megacity of Delhi. The National Capital Region is an even larger entity, comprising the entire NCT along with adjoining districts in the two neighbouring states forming a continuously built-up area with it, including Ghaziabad , Noida , Greater Noida , Meerut , YEIDA City , Gurgaon , and Faridabad . The foundation stone of New Delhi, south of central Delhi,
4387-734: The National Museum was formally inaugurated and has 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, covering over 5,000 years. The India Gate , which was built in 1931, was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is the national monument of India commemorating the 90,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died while fighting for the British Raj in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War . The monument
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4494-521: The Ramlila Maidan. Ramlila Maidan was also venue for Swami Ramdev for his indefinite hunger strike on 4 June 2011 to bring back the black money stashed in tax havens abroad, which saw 65,000 odd supporters. However, the event came to highlight when Delhi Police on 6 June along with a large police force lobbed tear gas shells, burned the place and lathi charged the crowd at 1 am (IST) to evict them. 2011 again saw anti-corruption protests in
4601-462: The State to raise the standard of living, improve public health and prohibit the consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs injurious to health. In 2007 Maharashtra rolled out a policy aimed to encourage production of alcohol from food grain to fill the rising demand for industrial alcohol and liquor. It issued 36 licences for distilleries for making alcohol from food grain. Anna Hazare opposed
4708-711: The Union Cabinet amended the Right to Information Act 2005 to exclude the file noting by the government officials from its purview. Hazare began his fast unto death on 9 August 2006 in Alandi against the proposed amendment. He ended his fast on 19 August 2006, after the government agreed to change its earlier decision. Before 2006 in the state of Maharashtra, honest government officers were transferred to other places according to ministerial wish, while some corrupt and favoured officials stayed put for decades. Hazare fought for
4815-668: The Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. A system was introduced under which the elected government was given wide powers, excluding law and order which remained with the Central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993. The first major extension of New Delhi outside of Lutyens' Delhi came in the 1950s when the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) developed
4922-614: The area of the municipality of the same name but also encompasses the Delhi Cantonment and parts of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi area. New Delhi is the largest commercial city in northern India. It has an estimated net State Domestic Product (FY 2010) of ₹ 1,595 billion (US$ 19 billion) in nominal terms and ~ ₹ 6,800 billion (US$ 81 billion) in PPP terms. As of 2013 , the per capita income of Delhi
5029-498: The bill did not pass he would call for a mass nation-wide agitation. He called his movement a "second struggle for independence " and he will continue the fight. Hazare threatened on 28 July 2012 to proceed with his fast-unto-death on the Jan Lokpal Bill issue. He also stated that country's future is not safe in the hands of Congress and BJP and he would campaign in the coming elections for those with clean background. On
5136-579: The cabinet in March 2005. Three trusts headed by Anna Hazare were also indicted in the P. B. Sawant commission report. ₹ 220,000 (US$ 2,640) spent by the Hind Swaraj Trust for Anna Hazare's birthday celebrations was concluded by the commission as illegal and amounting to a corrupt practice, though Abhay Firodia, an industrialist subsequently donated ₹ 248,000 (US$ 2,970) to the trust for that purpose. The setting apart of 11 acres of its land by
5243-437: The campaign to form a joint committee of government and civil society representatives. He wanted this committee to draft a bill with more stringent penal provisions and gave more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayukta s (ombudsmen in the states). The fast came after his demand was rejected by the prime minister, Manmohan Singh . Hazare said, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed". The movement attracted attention in
5350-404: The city was running out of ICU(Intensive Care Unit) beds and lot of fresh Covid-19 cases being reported continuously. New Delhi New Delhi ( / ˈ nj uː ˈ d ɛ . l i / , Hindi: [ˈnəiː ˈdɪlːiː] , ISO : Naī Dillī ) is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of
5457-421: The collusion between 40 forest officials and timber merchants. This protest resulted in the transfer and suspension of these officials. In May 1997 Hazare protested alleged malpractice in the purchase of powerlooms by the Vasantrao Naik Bhathya Vimukt Jhtra Governor P. C. Alexander . On 4 November 1997 Gholap filed a defamation suit against Hazare for accusing him of corruption. He was arrested in April 1998 and
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#17327728250955564-402: The committee settled on the south site. A site atop the Raisina Hill , formerly Raisina Village, a Meo village, was chosen for the Rashtrapati Bhawan , then known as the Viceroy's House. The reason for this choice was that the hill lay directly opposite the Dinapanah citadel, which was also considered the site of Indraprastha , the ancient region of Delhi. Subsequently, the foundation stone
5671-434: The court refused to hear the suit, saying, "not before me, this is a court of law, not a court of justice". A Maharashtra Principal Secretary, C.S. Sangeet Rao, stated that no law existed to scrap these licences. In 2011, Hazare participated in the satyagraha movement campaigning for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal ( ombudsman ) bill in the Indian parliament. Known as the Jan Lokpal Bill (People's Ombudsman Bill), it
5778-439: The family moved to their ancestral village of Ralegan Siddhi , where they owned a small amount of agricultural land. A relative took on the burden of providing Kisan with an education, taking him to Mumbai because the village had no primary school. The relative became unable financially to continue the support and Kisan's schooling ended in the Standard Seventh grade; his siblings never attended school. He started selling flowers at
5885-828: The formula that it should be co-chaired by a politician and social activist. The notification stated, "The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of the civil society. The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are Pranab Mukherjee , Union Minister of Finance, P. Chidambaram , Union Minister of Home Affairs, M. Veerappa Moily , Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal , Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed , Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs. The five non-politician nominees were Anna Hazare, N. Santosh Hegde , Shanti Bhushan Senior Advocate, Prashant Bhushan , Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal . On
5992-574: The government promised to review the policy and Anna ended his 5-day fast. But the government later granted 36 licences and grants of ₹ 10 (12¢ US) (per litre of alcohol) to politicians or their sons who were engaged in making alcohol from foodgrains. Recipients included Amit and Dheeraj Deshmukh, sons of Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh , Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde 's daughter Pankaja Palwe and her husband Charudatta Palwe, sons-in-law of P.V. Narasimha Rao and Rajya Sabha MP Govindrao Adik. The government approved
6099-439: The government structure of the New Delhi Municipal Council includes a chairperson, three members of New Delhi's Legislative Assembly, two members nominated by the Chief Minister of the NCT of Delhi and five members nominated by the central government. The districts of the NCT were redrawn in 2012 and include a district called New Delhi, albeit with different borders than the municipality. The New Delhi district includes not only
6206-414: The government's policy to promote making liquor from food grain. He argued that Maharashtra had to import food, so producing liquor from food grain was inappropriate. One State minister, Laxman Dhoble said that those opposing the use of food grain for the production of liquor were anti-farmer, and that opponents should be beaten with sugarcane sticks. Hazare began fasting at Shirdi , but on 21 March 2010
6313-475: The last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on 30 January 1948. Rajghat is the place where Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948 after his assassination and his ashes were buried and make it a final resting place beside the sanctity of the Yamuna River. The Raj Ghat in the shape of the large square platform with black marble was designed by architect Vanu Bhuta. Anna Hazare Kisan Baburao "Anna" Hazare ( pronunciation ; born 15 June 1937)
6420-424: The legislation. Foreign Policy named him among top 100 global thinkers in 2011. Also in 2011, Hazare was ranked as the most influential person in Mumbai by a national daily newspaper. He has faced criticism for his authoritarian views on justice, including death as punishment for corrupt public officials and his alleged support for forced vasectomies as a method of family planning. Kisan Baburao Hazare
6527-482: The licences despite stiff opposition from the planning and finance departments, saying there was a huge demand in other countries for distilled spirits compared to that of molasses . Hazare sued Maharashtra over the policy in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court . On 20 August 2009 Maharashtra stopped the policy. However, distilleries sanctioned before that date and those who started production within two years of sanction were entitled for subsidies. On 5 May 2011
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#17327728250956634-426: The lockdown. On 5 November 2020, New Delhi recorded its most toxic day in a year, as the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles was recorded at 14 times the WHO's safe limit. (Poor) (Poor) (Moderate) (Moderate) (Moderate) (Moderate) (Satisfactory) (Satisfactory) (Satisfactory) (Severe) (Severe) (Very Poor) As of 2011, the New Delhi Municipal Council area has a population of 249,998. Hindi
6741-489: The lower caste Dalits by shramdaan and helped to repay their loans. The Gandhian philosophy on rural development considers the Gram Sabha as an important democratic institution for collective decision-making in the villages of India. Hazare campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that villagers have a say in the village's development. The state government initially refused, but eventually gave in to public pressure. It became mandatory to seek
6848-446: The meaning of life and death. He said of the truck attack, "[It] sent me thinking. I felt that God wanted me to stay alive for some reason. I was reborn in the battlefield of Khem Karan. And I decided to dedicate my new life to serving people." At a book stand in New Delhi railway station, he came across Swami Vivekananda 's booklet "Call to the youth for nation building" which inspired him to think deeper. He spent his spare time reading
6955-612: The media and thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare in his fast. Social activists, including Medha Patkar , Arvind Kejriwal , former IPS officer Kiran Bedi , and Jayaprakash Narayan lent their support. People showed support in social media. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar , Swami Ramdev , Swami Agnivesh , the former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev and many other celebrities supported him. Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him. The protesters rejected Uma Bharti , Om Prakash Chautala and others when they visited
7062-399: The meeting of the joint drafting committee on 30 May 2011, the Union government members opposed the inclusion of the prime minister, higher judiciary and the acts of the MPs under the purview of the JanLokpal in the draft bill. On 31 May, Mukherjee sent a letter to the chief ministers of all states and party leaders seeking their opinion on six contentious issues, including whether to bring
7169-452: The month of August; this time from the activist Anna Hazare . The month of November of the same year saw another gathering, this time mainly from the minorities under the banner Social Justice conference . The conference sought to build the nation on the ideals of social justice that the nation was lacking even after 6 decades of independence. In April 2021, ICU facilities were created in the place and vacant Ramlila ground in East Delhi, as
7276-422: The morning of 9 April 2011 Hazare ended his 98-hour hunger strike. He addressed the people and set a deadline of 15 August 2011 to pass the bill. He said that Real fight begins now. We have a lot of struggle ahead of us in drafting the new legislation. We have shown the world in just five days that we are united for the cause of the nation. The youth power in this movement is a sign of hope. Hazare said that if
7383-461: The nearby towns of Shirur and Parner to pursue higher education, but girls were limited to primary education. Hazare, along with the youth of Ralegan Siddhi, worked to increase literacy rates and education levels. In 1976 they started a pre-school and a high school in 1979. The villagers formed a charitable trust , the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal , which was registered in 1979. The social barriers and discrimination that existed due to
7490-429: The new capital was inaugurated in 1931. Many employees were brought into the new capital from distant parts of India, including the Bengal Presidency and Madras Presidency . Subsequently, housing for them has developed around Gole Market area in the 1920s. Built in the 1940s, to house government employees, with bungalows for senior officials in the nearby Lodhi Estate area, Lodhi colony near historic Lodhi Gardens ,
7597-607: The new city of Delhi was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 . During the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, George V while laying the foundation stone for the viceroy's residence in the Coronation Park , Kingsway Camp , declared that the capital of the Raj would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi . Three days later, George V and his consort, Mary , laid the foundation stone of New Delhi at Kingsway Camp. Large parts of New Delhi were planned by Edwin Lutyens , who first visited Delhi in 1912, and Herbert Baker , both leading 20th-century British architects. The contract
7704-569: The next twenty years. The last stumbling block was the Agra -Delhi railway line that cut right through the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial ( India Gate ) and Kingsway ( Rajpath ), which was a problem because the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city at that time. The line was shifted to run along the Yamuna River , and it began operating in 1924. The New Delhi Railway Station opened in 1926, with
7811-493: The odd- and even-numbered licence plates system was announced by Delhi government in December 2015. In addition, trucks were to be allowed to enter India's capital only after 11 pm, two hours later than the existing restriction. The driving restriction scheme was planned to be implemented as a trial from 1 January 2016 for an initial period of 15 days. The restriction was in force between 8 am and 8 pm, and traffic
7918-419: The organisation tracked around the world. In 2016, United States Environmental Protection Agency listed New Delhi as the most polluted city on Earth and IQAir listed New Delhi as the world's most polluted capital city for the second straight year in year 2019. In an attempt to lessen air pollution in New Delhi, which gets worse during the winter, a temporary alternate-day travel scheme for cars using
8025-402: The patriotic song, " Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo " in the presence of Nehru. Two years later in 1965, at public gathering here, then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave his slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan . Jayaprakash Narayan along with prominent Opposition leaders, addressed a mammoth rally with over a lakh people participating on 25 June 1975. This was the first protest in Ramlila Maidan, which
8132-515: The prime minister and judges of India's Supreme Court and High Courts under the law's purview. But the civil society members of the drafting committee considered that keeping them out would be a violation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption . Hazare and other civil society members decided to boycott the 6 June 2011 drafting committee meeting to protest the forcible eviction of Swami Ramdev and his followers by
8239-528: The protest. On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawar resigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the 2010 draft. Protests spread to Bangalore , Mumbai , Chennai , Ahmedabad , Guwahati , Shillong , Aizawl and other cities. On 8 April 2011 the Government accepted the movement's demands. On 9 April it issued a notification in the Gazette of India on formation of a joint committee. It accepted
8346-544: The reputation of a master orator, large crowds turned up to listen to him, as also the other speakers. The rally also a large number of Muslims had turned up to hear the Shahi Imam , Bukhari Senior, who had extended their backing to the Janata Party . The 2011 anti corruption demonstration of Anna Hazare and the 2013 as well as the 2015 oath ceremony of the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also took place at
8453-611: The rest of India. On India's Independence Day (15 August), the prime minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort . Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which are considered a symbol of freedom. The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military might. Religious festivals include Diwali (the festival of light), Maha Shivaratri , Teej , Durga Puja , Mahavir Jayanti , Guru Nanak Jayanti , Holi , Lohri , Eid ul-Fitr , Eid ul-Adha , Easter , Raksha Bandhan , and Christmas . The Qutub Festival
8560-616: The sanction of the Gram Sabha (an assembly of all village adults, and not just the few elected representatives in the gram panchayat) for expenditures on development works in the village. In 1991 Hazare launched the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan (BVJA, People's Movement against Corruption), a popular movement to fight against corruption in Ralegaon Siddhi. In the same year he protested against
8667-480: The state of Maharashtra since 1975. When Hazare came to Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 only 70 acres (28 ha) of land was irrigated, Hazare converted it into about 2,500 acres (1,000 ha). In 1932, Ralegan Siddhi got its first formal school, a single classroom primary school. In 1962, the villagers added more classrooms through community volunteer efforts. By 1971, out of an estimated population of 1,209, only 30.43% were literate (72 women and 290 men). Boys moved to
8774-624: The sub-city of Dwarka , located in the southwest district, has a substantially low level of air pollution. At the NSIT University campus, located in sector 3 Dwarka, pollution levels were as low as 93 PPM. On 7 November 2017, the Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency due to high pollution levels. The highest being in the Punjabi Bagh district with an air quality index of 999 and in
8881-493: The temple, they became, in a sense, religious commitments. Over thirty liquor brewing units voluntarily closed their establishments. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close their businesses when the youth group smashed their premises. The owners could not complain as their businesses were illegal. Once 3 drunken villagers were tied to pillars and then flogged , personally by Hazare with his army belt. He justified this punishment by stating that "rural India
8988-508: The third day of his indefinite fast, Anna stated that he will not talk even to the Prime Minister till his demands are met. On 2 August 2012 Hazare said that there was nothing wrong with forming a new political party but, he would neither join the party nor contest elections. Team and Anna have decided to end their indefinite fast on 3 August 2012 at 5 pm after which the team will announce their decision to enter politics. During
9095-500: The top position as the most targeted emerging markets retail destination among Asia-Pacific markets. The government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi does not release any economic figures specifically for New Delhi but publishes an official economic report on the whole of Delhi annually. According to the Economic Survey of Delhi , the metropolis has a net State Domestic Product (SDP) of Rs. 830.85 billion (for
9202-678: The trust in favour of the Zilla Parishad without obtaining permission from the charity commissioner was concluded as a case of maladministration. The commission also concluded that the maintenance of accounts of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Janandolan Trust after 10 November 2001 had not been according to the rules and ₹ 46,374 (US$ 560) spent by the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal Trust for renovating
9309-428: The work and these he organised into a Tarun Mandal (Youth Association). One of the works of Vivekananda which he had read was Call to the youth for nation building . Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of alcoholism to drive a process of reform. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down liquor dens and ban alcohol in the village. Since these resolutions were made in
9416-518: The works of Swami Vivekananda , Gandhi , and Vinoba Bhave . In a blog post, Hazare expressed his views on Kashmir by saying that it was his "active conviction that Kashmir is an integral part of India" and that if required once again for service, he would remain "ready to take part in war against Pakistan." During his fifteen-year career in the army (1960–75), Anna Hazare was posted at several locations, including Punjab ( Indo Pak war 1965 ), Nagaland , Bombay (1971) and Jammu (1974). During
9523-551: The year 2004–05) and a per capita income of Rs. 53,976 ($ 1,200). In the year 2008–09 New Delhi had a per capita Income of Rs. 116,886 ($ 2,595). It grew by 16.2% to reach Rs. 135,814 ($ 3,018) in 2009–10 fiscal. New Delhi's per capita GDP (at PPP) was at $ 6,860 during 2009–10 fiscal, making it one of the richest cities in India. The tertiary sector contributes 78.4% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 20.2% and 1.4% contribution respectively. The gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Delhi at prices for
9630-528: The year 2011–12 has been estimated at Rs 3.13 trillion ( short scale ), which is an increase of 18.7 per cent over the previous fiscal. New Delhi is a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the vast Indian bureaucracy and political system. The city's capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Republic Day , Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi's birthday) are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and
9737-460: Was Rs. 230000, second highest in India after Goa. GSDP in Delhi at the prices for 2012–13 is estimated at Rs 3.88 trillion ( short scale ) against Rs 3.11 trillion ( short scale ) in 2011–12. Connaught Place , one of North India 's largest commercial and financial centres, is located in the northern part of New Delhi. Adjoining areas such as Barakhamba Road , ITO are also major commercial centres. The government and quasi-government sector
9844-433: Was a harsh society", and that Doesn't a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for the child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed. Hazare appealed to the government of Maharashtra to pass a law whereby prohibition would come into force in
9951-545: Was against Indira Gandhi 's government. This was Jayaprakash Narayan last rally before he was arrested. Just after Emergency situation was removed in India, in February 1977, several anti-Congress(opposition) leaders came on a common platform to form Janata Party . The Joint rally was held at Ramlila and was led by several opposition leaders Jagjivan Ram , Morarji Desai , Atal Bihari Vajpayee , Charan Singh and Chandra Shekhar . Since Vajpayee had by then already acquired
10058-593: Was born on 15 June 1937 (some sources say 15 January 1940 ) in Bhingar , near Ahmednagar . He was the eldest son of Baburao Hazare and Laxmi Bai. He has two sisters and four brothers. He later adopted the name Anna , which in Marathi means "elder person" or "father". His father worked as an unskilled labourer in Ayurveda Ashram Pharmacy and struggled to support the family financially. In time,
10165-622: Was designed by Robert Tor Russell , chief architect to the Public Works Department (PWD). After the capital of India moved to Delhi, a temporary secretariat building was constructed in a few months in 1912 in North Delhi . Most of the government offices of the new capital moved here from the 'Old secretariat' in Old Delhi (the building now houses the Delhi Legislative Assembly ), a decade before
10272-536: Was drafted by N. Santosh Hegde , a former justice of the Supreme Court of India and Lokayukta of Karnataka , Prashant Bhushan , and social activist Arvind Kejriwal . The draft incorporated more stringent provisions and gave wider power to the Lokpal than the government's 2010 draft. These included placing "the Prime Minister within the ambit of the proposed lokpal's powers". Hazare began an " indefinite fast " on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi as part of
10379-590: Was given to Sobha Singh . The original plan called for its construction in Tughlaqabad, inside the Tughlaqabad Fort , but this was given up because of the Delhi-Calcutta trunk line that passed through the fort. Construction really began after World War I and was completed by 1931. The gardening and planning of plantations was led by A.E.P. Griessen , and later William Mustoe. The city that
10486-418: Was honourably discharged in 1975 after completing 12 years of service. Hazare returned to Ralegan Siddhi , a village then described by Satpathy and Mehta as "one of the many villages of India plagued by acute poverty, deprivation, a fragile ecosystem, neglect and hopelessness." Although most of the villagers owned some land, cultivation was extremely difficult due to the rocky ground preventing retention of
10593-601: Was laid by George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 . It was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker . The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by Viceroy and Governor-General Irwin . Until December 1911, Calcutta was the capital of India during the British Rule. However, it had become the centre of the nationalist movements since the late nineteenth century, which led to
10700-587: Was later dubbed " Lutyens' Delhi " was inaugurated in ceremonies beginning on 10 February 1931 by Viceroy Irwin. Lutyens designed the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial aspirations . Soon Lutyens started considering other places. Indeed, the Delhi Town Planning Committee, set up to plan the new imperial capital, with George Swinton as chairman, and John A. Brodie and Lutyens as members, submitted reports for both north and south sites. However, it
10807-445: Was not restricted on Sundays. Public transportation service was increased during the restriction period. On 16 December 2015, the Supreme Court of India mandated several restrictions on Delhi's transportation system to curb pollution. Among the measures, the court ordered to stop registrations of diesel cars and sport utility vehicles with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc and over until 31 March 2016. The court also ordered all taxis in
10914-459: Was rejected by the Viceroy when the cost of acquiring the necessary properties was found to be too high. The central axis of New Delhi, which today faces east at India Gate , was previously meant to be a north-south axis linking the Viceroy's House at one end with Paharganj at the other. Eventually, owing to space constraints and the presence of a large number of heritage sites on the north side,
11021-405: Was relatively wealthy because of the gratuity from his army service. He set about using that money to restore a run-down, vandalised village temple as a focal point for the community. Some were able to respond with small financial donations but many other villagers, particularly among the elderly, donated their labour in a process that became known as shramdaan . Some youths also became involved in
11128-757: Was released on a personal bond of ₹ 5,000 (US$ 60). On 9 September 1998 Hazare was imprisoned in the Yerawada Jail to serve a three-month sentence mandated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Court. The sentencing caused leaders of all political parties except the BJP and the Shiv Sena to support him. Later, due to public protests, the Government of Maharashtra ordered his release. Hazare wrote a letter to then chief minister Manohar Joshi demanding Gholap's removal for his role in alleged malpractices in
11235-774: Was shifted from the site of Delhi Durbar of 1911–1912, where the Coronation Pillar stood, and embedded in the walls of the forecourt of the Secretariat . The Rajpath , also known as King's Way, stretched from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Secretariat building, the two blocks of which flank the Rashtrapati Bhawan and houses ministries of the government of India, and the Parliament House , both designed by Baker, are located at
11342-495: Was the last residential areas built by the British Raj . After India gained independence in 1947, limited autonomy was conferred to New Delhi and was administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India . In 1966, Delhi was converted into a union territory and eventually the Chief Commissioner was replaced by a Lieutenant Governor. The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared
11449-492: Was the primary employer in New Delhi. The city's service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media, and tourism. The 2011 World Wealth Report ranks economic activity in New Delhi at 39, but overall the capital is ranked at 37, above cities like Jakarta and Johannesburg. New Delhi, with Beijing, shares
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