More than 500 students join ‘Know Your Leader’ programme at Samvidhan Sadan on Gandhi and Shastri Jayanti
GTNS | NEW DELHI | OCTOBER 2, 2026
The birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri were observed at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on Friday, where more than 500 students from different parts of India took part in the ‘Know Your Leader’ programme.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the young participants and urged them to draw lessons from the lives, public service and values of Gandhi and Shastri while contributing to the country’s development through discipline, responsibility and sustained effort.
The programme also gave students an opportunity to speak about the two national leaders. According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, 36 selected young participants shared their views on Gandhi and Shastri, including their ideas, contributions and continuing relevance for successive generations.
Gandhi’s message of truth and non-violence
Speaking about Mahatma Gandhi, Birla highlighted the role of truth, morality, non-violence and Satyagraha in Gandhi’s public life. He encouraged students to study Gandhi’s philosophy and understand how discipline, perseverance and determination shaped his approach to social and political challenges.
The Speaker said Gandhi’s ideas had influenced movements for freedom and justice beyond India, while stressing that his emphasis on self-reflection and ethical conduct remains relevant for young people.
Remembering Shastri’s simplicity and duty
Referring to Lal Bahadur Shastri, Birla highlighted his simplicity, honesty, sense of duty and firmness in decision-making. He also recalled Shastri’s well-known call of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, which emerged during a challenging period for the country and placed emphasis on national and food security.
Birla told the students that access to technology and knowledge needs to be accompanied by patience, discipline, ethical conduct and continued effort. He encouraged them to connect personal achievement with wider social responsibility.
Tributes in Parliament
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Om Birla, Union ministers, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to Gandhi and Shastri at their portraits in the Central Hall. Birla also visited Rajghat and Vijay Ghat to pay homage to Gandhi and Shastri respectively.
The ‘Know Your Leader’ programme provided the participating students with an opportunity to discuss the lives and ideas of two major figures of India’s modern history and to reflect on their relevance to contemporary civic life.
Photo: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addresses students during the ‘Know Your Leader’ programme at Parliament House, New Delhi, October 2, 2026.