The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. Cultures that measure yearly calendars all have New Year celebrations.
The ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and started the year on 1 March, which is still reflected in the names of some months which derive from Latin: September (seventh), October (eighth), November (ninth), December (tenth). Around 713 BC the months of January and February were added to the year, traditionally by the second king, Numa Pompilius, along with the leap month Intercalaris. The year used in dates was the consular year, which began on the day when consuls first entered office — fixed by law at 15 March in 222 BC, but this event was moved to 1 January in 153 BC. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, dropping Intercalaris; however, 1 January continued to be the first day of the new year.
In the Middle Ages in Europe a number of significant feast days in the ecclesiastical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church came to be used as the beginning of the Julian year:
It took quite a long time before the adoption of the 1st of January as the start of the year became widespread. The years of adoption are as follows -
When the Gregorian calendar started to be adopted, at different times in different countries, after 1582, the new year's day was again unaligned, with the countries still using the Julian calendar being 10 days behind those that adopted the Gregorian calendar. The discrepancy increased to 11 days in 1700, 12 days in 1800, and 13 days in 1900 (see Gregorian calendar article section on the difference between Gregorian and Julian calendar dates).
The ancient Roman New Year of 1 March was used in the Republic of Venice until its destruction in 1797, and in Russia from 988 until 1492 (AM 7000). 1 September was used in Russia from 1492 until the adoption of the Christian era in 1700 via a December 1699 decree of Tsar Peter I (previously, Russia had counted years since the creation of the world—Anno Mundi).
Since the 17th century, the Roman Catholic ecclesiastic year has started on the first day of Advent, the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's Day (30 November).
Autumnal equinox day (usually 22 September) was "New Year's Day" in the French Republican Calendar, which was in use from 1793 to 1805. This was primidi Vendemière, the first day of the first month.
Because of the division of the globe into time zones, the new year moves progressively around the globe as the start of the day users in the New Year. The first time zone to usher in the New Year is just west of the International Date Line. At that time the time zone to the east of the Date Line is 23 hours behind, still in the previous day. The residents on the central Pacific Ocean island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island), the eastern-most island in the island nation of Kiribati claim to be the first to usher in the New Year.
It is believed that if the current enrolment in our colleges and universities of 7-8 per cent of youth in the age group of 18-23 years has to be increased to the desired level of 15 per cent by 2015, we need to increase the number of colleges by thousands and that of universities by hundreds. The Chinese seem to be thinking of expanding their higher education system on an unprecedented scale with adequate financial resources for top class infrastructure, especially for undergraduate education. What do we have to do to sustain a massive higher education network?
Spending on education has not exceeded 3 per cent of our GDP in the foregone Plan periods although the target was about 6 per cent. As suggested by the National Knowledge Commission and as endorsed by the Planning Commission, there is an imperative need to augment budgetary allocation for education to nearly 6 per cent of GDP during the XI Plan period. Even if the Governments are able to accomplish this seemingly difficult task, given the fact that a large proportion of this money has to be diverted for improving primary and secondary education, what will be left for supporting higher education is anybody's guess. Central assistance even if increased, will be largely utilised by the existing and future establishments like central universities, IIMs, IITs and IIScs, leaving others, as usual, being starved of funds. Do our State governments have the resources to ameliorate the appaling conditions of our colleges and universities?
There exists a popular, if not pragmatic, theory that the Centre-State government co-operation is obliged to make higher education both accessible and affordable to all (regardless of class or caste) those who desire it. It is held that the fees charged by aided institutions should not exceed 20 per cent of the operative cost. It is further argued that not only should the number of admissions be increased but also the number of higher education centres should be expanded substantially to help weaker sections and OBCs gain access to specialised training. The objective sounds reasonable and justifiable but the modus operandi was seldom explained satisfactorily nor adequate resource mobilisation addressed vigorously. Similarly, how high quality of teaching and research could be nourished without excellent infrastructure and faculty has remained unanswered.
In many areas of our operation, planning is good but execution is poor. Management of higher education is no exception to this syndrome. World class higher education (we cannot settle for anything less in the present competitive world looking for competent people) calls for massive capital investments and high running costs. First and foremost, we need to educate the stakeholders on these issues and tell them clearly to what extent, as a policy decision, the Central and State Governments put together could subsidise. People should be taught to pay for good services (higher education is indeed included in the service sector) and to accept the reality that any expenditure on the part of citizens should be treated as a wise investment with the promise of rich dividends in future.
Instead of the populist approach of rendering higher education cheap, the Governments should introduce liberal loan and scholarship schemes to help talented but economically poor students. A review of the existing loan schemes of the Nationalized banks is a must to verify whether these public financial institutions support only the traditional professional courses or have identified a host of new ones in emerging areas of science, technology, management, health care, tourism, hospitality, animation and so on. It is very pertinent to mention in this context that if the present loan and scholarship schemes are found faulty or inadequate, a separate new system, say, Higher Education Development Corporation / Bank with a nation-wide network could be established. The modalities of functioning of such an organisation, including mobilising deposits from NRIs and Corporate Bodies on a low rate of interest, could be worked out by an expert committee of financial wizards, industrial magnates and eminent academic administrators. When there are so many Corporations and Boards for meeting societal needs such as housing, infrastructure, roads, power, forests and environment, the case for a similar set up for higher education is certainly not out of place.
With respect to higher education, the Governments should act as facilitators to help those who wish to help themselves. In the current scenario, the potential for earning by the competent graduates and postgraduates is high. In a progressive economy, the beneficiaries should be partners of the State is sustaining top quality higher and professional education. Motivating people to believe in paying (despite several constraints) for good education, at least through loans and scholarships is a crucial step in extending higher education to larger segments of society.
There has been a lot of controversy and confusion on private initiatives in higher education. Those who are opposed to the practice, contend that privatisation leads to mere commercialisation wherein the profit motive outweighs social concerns of accessibility and equity. However, in our country, we have seen private participation in higher education (e.g. establishment of a good number of science and technology schools by the Tatas and Birlas) even prior to independence. In those days, a part of the profit earned by the industries used to be earmarked to maintain educational institutions, temples, planetaria, community centres, etc. The trustees of these bodies were good custodians of money and used to spend/ invest it wisely. Therefore, the concept of private sector playing an important role in promoting higher education is not something new.
We also have people who vociferously argue that our youngsters need high quality education, and 'who provides it' is a secondary question. These votaries maintain that in every sphere of activity, people around the world pay for services, the extent of the payment being dependent on the nature of service desired. Ours is a free country, and the people have a right to choose from the available avenues. Hence, it is argued that there is nothing wrong in private institutions (either at the primary or secondary or higher education level) charging fees that appear exhorbitant. It is relevant to note that running a good institution without much Government support either for recurring or non-recurring expenditure is a great challenge demanding considerable effort and planning.The role of the private sector in higher education is not something unique in India. Some of the best centres of higher learning in the world such as Harvard and Stanford Universities in the US are privately managed. Of course, they are eligible for government support in terms of various schemes and research projects on a competitive basis. The author is aware that it is difficult to draw parallelism for, the civil society and the per capita income in USA are different from those of India.
If Government institutions are not able to meet the demands of people for quality education in relevant and emerging areas, what are the options? How to find an amicable solution for the Governments' limitations on the one hand and the so-called exploitation by the private operators on the other?
One tangible and meaningful approach is to increase the spending on education including higher education significantly keeping in view the importance of empowering young people (approximately more than 55 per cent of our population at present) in nation building. Even if this is achieved by some means, as mentioned earlier, it may not be possible to meet the aspirations of millions of students (about 11 million with three million fresh admissions) who would like to study in our colleges and universities.
Under these compelling circumstances, it is wise to allow private participation with certain safeguards and riders. For instance, the practical approach could be to allow a reasonable period of five years for a private institution of higher learning to metamorphose. Thereafter, every such centre shall have to submit itself to academic audit by way of accreditation.
One hundred per cent autonomy should be given to nascent institutions and the archaic system of affiliation should be totally dispensed with. The next step is to bring such institutions under a facilitating mechanism wherein they are obliged to provide a fixed proportion of admissions to socially and economically backward students to ensure equity, accessibility and affordability. Of course, the parameters for social and economic backwardness must be well defined as is currently argued in the Supreme Court. To partially compensate for the loss of income because of differential fee structure, private institutions should be encouraged to submit proposals for Central-State grants through non-plan schemes on competitive basis. In any case, a viable approach must be devised wherein private operators including NRIs are encouraged to build institutions of excellence. Their social obligation should percolate as a consequence of accured resources and not as a result of too much control and policing. We certainly do not wish to revert to the Licence Raj.
Thai Pongal (Tamil: தைப்பொங்கல்) is a harvest festival equivalent to a thanksgiving event celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The act of boiling over of milk in the clay pot is considered to denote future prosperity for the family. Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it is a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, USA, Canada and Singapore. The festival is at least 1000 years old although some believe that the festival is more than 2000 years old. As per epigraphic evidence, it used to be celebrated as Puthiyeedu during Medieval Chola empire days. It is thought that Puthiyeedu meant the first harvest of the year.  People of all relegions celebrate the pongal festival.
Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils"). This festival originated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" (தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்) meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" often is quoted regarding the Pongal festival.
Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar). The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February).The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials, by setting them on fire, marking the end of the old Thai and the emergence of the new Thai.
The second day, Pongal, is the main day, falling on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Sarkarai Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name.
The moment the rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout of "Ponggalo Ponggal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. ThenNew boiled rice is offered to the Nature during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony. People also prepare savories and sweets such as vadai, murrukku, payasam and visit each other and exchange greetings.
The third day, Maattu Pongal, is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmer in different ways for agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells. They are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane. Some people decorate the horns with gold or other metalic covers. In some places, Jallikattu, or taming the wild bull contest, is the main event of this day and this is mostly seen in the villages.
During the final day, Kaanum Pongal (the word kaanum means "to view") people visit beaches and theme parks. They also chew sugar cane and decorate their houses with kolam. This day is a day to thank relatives and friends for their support in the harvest..Although it started as a farmers festival, today it has become a national festival for all Tamils irrespective of their origins, caste or even religion. It is as popular in urban areas as is in rural areas.
The astronomical significance of the festival is that it marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the sun's movement northward for a six-month period. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn). While Pongal is predominantly a Tamil festival, similar festivals are also celebrated in several other Indian States under different names. In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, the harvest festival Sankranthi is celebrated. In northern India, it is called Makara Sankranti. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, it is celebrated on the date of the annual kite flying day, Uttarayan. It also coincides with the bonfire and harvest festival in Punjab and Haryana, known as Lohri. Similar harvest festivals in the same time frame are also celebrated by farmers in in Burma, Cambodia, and Korea.
The Republic Day of India is a national holiday of India to mark the transition of India from a British Dominion to a republic on January 26, 1950 and the adoption of the Constitution of India. It is one of the three national holidays in India. This is not to be confused with the Independence Day on August 15th.
Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950. During the transition period from 1947 to 1950, King George VI was the head of state. C. Rajagopalachari served as the Governor-General of India during this period. Following January 26, 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the president of India.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's Palace), along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The parade also includes vibrant displays and floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets.
Celebrations, though on a much smaller scale, are also held in state capitals, where the governor of the state unfurls the national flag. If the Governor of the state is unwell, or is unavailable for some reason, the Chief Minister of the state assumes the honor of unfurling the National Flag of India. India celebrates January 26 each year as Republic Day. But we, the people of India settled in India or anywhere in the world salute the Republic of India with our both hands. This day marks more than merely a ritual. In every sense it goes beyond massive celebrations that are witnessed across the India. These are the visible demonstrations of joy, happiness and strength by a proud great independent republic.
Indians had long been agitating for independence from Britain. But following the landslide victory of Britain's Labour Party in July 1945, the then Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, urged an end to our long struggle for independence. He wanted the Indians to establish a political assembly that would create for the people of India a constitution of their own making. The stated goal of the constitution team which was headed by Dr Rajindra Prasad was: "to secure for all" of India's citizens "social, economic and political" justice; to establish "liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; to establish "equality of status and opportunity;" and to promote among all citizens a "fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation."
Once we achieved our freedom this day now reflects the journey of India from a colonized country to an independent republic as India became formally independent from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947, however, the country remained a Commonwealth realm, and continued in a personal union relationship with the other countries who each regarded the same person as their monarch and Head of State. The Monarch of India was represented by the Governor-General of India, appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom upon the advice of the Prime Minister of India, instead of the British government, till India's parliament worked through the creation of its own constitution which was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 19 49 and then the Constitution was formally adopted on January 26, 1950.
On this day when the constitution took effect, the Governor General was replaced by an elected president, with Dr. Rajendra Prasad serving as the first President of India. The move ended India's status as a Commonwealth realm, but the republic remained in the Commonwealth of Nations. But our Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India argued that a nation should be allowed to stay in the Commonwealth simply by observing the British monarch as "Head of the Commonwealth" but not necessarily head of state. This was a ground-breaking decision that would set a precedent in the second half of the twentieth century for many other former British colonies to remain in the Commonwealth after becoming newly-independent republics.
India was then a federated nation and a union of states. More than 275 principalities had to be merged into new states and after merging these princely states, India became a truly sovereign state. On this day, 26th Jan a date of symbolic importance as it was on January 26, 1930, that the Congress Party had first issued the call for complete independence from Britain. Thus 26th January is one of the most important days in the Indian history. Indeed our past glory has come back after we gained independence and India has once again become a land of hope and immense possibilities, as we have risen like the phoenix, the symbol of death and resurrection, showing our civilized strength and a will to prove our Bhagavad Gita’s message -- that wherever there is dharma (righteousness), there is victory -- true. The story of India's recent progress is a saga of peoples' power, determination and a will to move ahead as enshrined in our constitution a constitution, which perhaps is the longest written document of any independent nation in the world.
Republic Day, January 26, is celebrated most grandly in New Delhi, where symbols of the great nation's military might and cultural wealth are displayed in what must be world's most impressive parade. All Government buildings are dramatically illuminated lending the business like city the atmosphere of a fairyland. This Day is celebrated with zeal and pride all over the country. To honour the occasion, a grand parade is held in the National Capital New Delhi. Different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, march from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along the Rajpath New Delhi’s broad parade avenue and reach the India Gate and then move towards old Delhi.
However the beginning of this day is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defence of sovereignty of our country. The Prime Minster of India and three chiefs of Army, Navy and Air force salute these brave persons at India Gate (Amar Jyoti) a memorial arch honouring members of the Indian armies before the start of the parade. Patriotic fervour national pride and ardent devotion fills the heart of every Indian with these emotions.
President of India, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute at the grand parade and later awards the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations. The richly caparisoned elephants proceed down the Rajpath, bearing musicians as well as citizens being honoured for personal courage. The patriotic fervour of the people on this day brings the whole country together. Every part of the country is represented in occasion as the parade is followed by spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. N.C.C cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms.
Over half a million people, young and old, throng the parade ground very early in the morning and take vantage points along the path that follows the parade some carrying with them the national flags. The orange, white and green Indian flag flies all along the route. The parade and the ensuing pageantry are telecasted live and are watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country and the world over.
Dignitaries from various foreign embassies/ commissions in India are invited to witness this day who eagerly participate in full strength as each state depicts its unique festivals, historical locations and art forms. The displays from all the states are meant to promote the feelings of brotherhood, harmony and unity among the citizens. The festivities also include colourful performances by school children from across the Country. The most eagerly awaited part of the Republic Day parade is the spectacular fly past, put on by the Indian Air Force. Roaring past the dais, the Indian Air Force planes symbolically salute the President. Republic Day is celebrated with the same ardour and passion throughout the country in the state capitals as well, where the governor of the state unfurls the national flag. The annual Beating of the Retreat ceremony ending the Republic Day celebrations start in the evening on 29th when ranks of Indian bagpipers march in procession and noble Bikaner Camel Corps stands at attention on the ramparts, silhouetted against the setting sun. The patriotic fervour of the people on this day brings the whole country together even in her essential diversity a every part of the country is represented in occasion, which makes the Republic Day the most popular of all the national holidays of India. It is definitely a matter of pride and honour for all of us that we are free, not chained by anyone. The world is now equally amazed at the gradual emergence of India as an economic super power. The country has done it despite numerous problems. It has a huge population. Moreover, it is an intensely multi-ethnic and multi-religious society with divisions and sub-divisions down the line. The unity of our nation is not based on any monolithic idea but on our age-old tradition of tolerance which is at once a pragmatic concept of living together and a philosophic concept of finding truth and goodness in every religion.
Kanayalal Raina Brampton, Canada
The Republic Day Parade is an annual military and cultural parade held in the Indian Capital of New Delhi on 26 January, the Republic Day of India. Republic Day is celebrated with the hoisting of the national flag, and parades by the armed forces and school children all over the country. The largest, and most important, of these parades takes place in New Delhi, and the phrase "Republic Day Parade" generally refers to the parade in New Delhi.
Before the parade starts, the Prime Minister of India lays a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate, commemorating all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. The President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, then arrives in his motorcade, escorted by his bodyguards. The President is accompanied by a notable foreign Head of State - who is the Chief Guest at the celebration. The President presides over the function. Soon afterward, a 21 gun salute is presented, the President unfurls the National Flag and the National Anthem is played. This marks the beginning of the parade.
The Parade begins with winners of gallantry awards passing the President in open jeeps. Various divisions of the Armed Forces then salute the President of India. The parade also sees the Indian Military showcasing its latest acquisitions such as tanks, missiles, radars, etc.
The military contingent contains representatives of all three divisions of the Armed Forces (air, sea and land). There are also massive parades of Police contingents, Home guards , Civil Defense and the National Cadet Corps.
The military parade is followed by a colourful cultural parade. India's rich cultural heritage is paraded with tableaux from various states. Each state depicts its unique festivals, historical locations and art forms. The most cheered section of the parade is the children who have won National Bravery Awards. They ride past the dais on elephants. School-children from all over the country also participate in the parade. The parade also includes displays of skillful motor-cycle riding, usually by a division from one of the Armed Forces.
The most eagerly awaited part of the parade is the fly past, put on by the Indian Air Force. The parade concludes with a Fly Past, when fighter planes of the IAF roar past the dais, symbolically saluting the President.
However, the official conclusion of Republic Day festivities is much later - on the evening of January 29, i.e. three days after Republic Day. This ceremony is called Beating the Retreat.
The processions starts by moving down from the Rashtrapati Bhavan through Rajpath, past the India Gate and on to Con naught Place, the heart of the city, to enter the historic Red Fort. The crowds sit on either side of the route and the VIP enclosure is on the Southern flank of Rajpath, near India Gate.