199th Birth Anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji | 06 Sep 2024

Recently, the 199^th birth anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji was observed on 4th September 2024. He is also known as the “Grand Old Man of India”.
Contributions of Dadabhai Naoroji:
- British MP: He served as the first Indian member of the British parliament. In 1892, he won from the Central Finsbury seat as a Liberal Party candidate.
- Establishment of Organizations in England: In 1865, Naoroji co-founded the London Indian Society, and in 1866, he established the East India Association.
- Congress President: He served as the president of the Congress three times in 1886 (Calcutta), 1893 (Lahore), and 1906 (Calcutta).
- Literature: Naoroji was one of the key proponents of “Drain Theory (1867)” which exposed the economic exploitation of India by Britain.
  - He published the book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India in 1901.
- Other Political Contribution: Naoroji advocated for a standing committee in the British House of Commons to address protests from Indian legislative bodies.
  - He formed an Indian parliamentary committee in the British Parliament in 1893 for lobbying for reforms in India.
  - He was appointed to the Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure in 1895.