Dr BR Ambedkar death anniversary: 10 things to know about the father of Indian Constitution

NEW DELHI: Popularly known as Babasaheb, Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is the architect of the Indian Constitution.
He was a jurist, economist, politician, professor and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination against untouchables (Dalits), while also supporting the rights of women and labourers.

He was born on April 14, 1891, in Mhow in a Dalit Mahar family.

On his 66th death anniversary on Tuesday, we bring to you 10 facts that you may not have known about him.

• The original name of Babasaheb Ambedkar was Ambawadekar, which was changed to 'Ambedkar' by one of his teachers in his school.
• Ambedkar was a social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and involved in campaigns against social discrimination towards the untouchables.
• Ambedkar is the first Indian to pursue an economics doctorate degree abroad. Also, he is the first PhD in economics and the first double doctorate holder in economics in South Asia.
• He was also among the highest educated Indians of his generation. He studied at universities in the US, Britain, and Germany. After obtaining a degree in economics and political science from Bombay University, he did his Masters at Columbia University in New York before training as a lawyer in London. During his three years at Columbia University, Ambedkar took 29 courses in economics, 11 in history, six in sociology, five in philosophy, four in anthropology, three in politics and one each in elementary French and German. He studied for a period of 21 years across the world and did masters in 64 subjects. Apart from that, he was the first Indian to have done a doctorate. It is said that he knew nine languages.
• It took two years and 11 months for Ambedkar to prepare the Constitution of the World’s largest Democracy and came to be called as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
• On November 27, 1942, he brought the issue of working hours during the 7th session of Indian Labour Conference in New Delhi. He assisted in reducing working hours in India from 14 to 8 hours.
• He was the first law minister of Independent India and resigned when his women rights bill was opposed by Parliament.
• The Reserve Bank of India was conceptualised in accordance with the guidelines presented by Dr Ambedkar to the Hilton Young Commission based on his book, The Problem of the Rupee – Its Origin and Its Solution.
• Dr B R Ambedkar topped the world's top 100 scholars list by Columbia University. He is the only Indian whose statue is placed next to Karl Marx in the London Museum.
• Dr BR Ambedkar was the first person to make a painting of Lord Buddha, with his eyes open. Before that, mostly all the idols had their eyes closed across the world.

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