NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh paid tribute to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary at Shanti Van on Wednesday. This day marks Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – country's first prime minister – 129th birth anniversary.

Both President and the PMof India recalled the key role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the country's great effort for freedom and his contributions as the first prime minister of India.

''Remembering our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary. We recall his contribution to our freedom struggle and during his tenure as Prime Minister,'' the PM stated in a tweet.

Paying respect to Pandit Nehru, President Ram Nath Kovind stated ''Remembering Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, our first Prime Minister, on his birth anniversary.

Pandit Nehru was tremendously well-liked among children who used to refer him as 'Chacha Nehru' and that’s why his birthday on November 14 is celebrated as Children's Day.In India This day is also known as ''Bal Diwas''.

After the loss of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, it was decided to commemorate his birthday on November 14 as the 'Children’s Day' in India. Nehru is time and again cited as saying that children should always be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the country and the citizens of tomorrow.

Nehru paid a special attention in the education system of the nation. He not only ensured that every child in the nation gets a free primary education, but also set up a number of higher educational institutions including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).