Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar: The Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar or Babasaheb as he was affectionately known amongst his followers and supporters is a name that needs no introduction. His birthday is celebrated on April 14. He was a world-class lawyer, social reformer, and the number one world-class scholar. He was widely regarded as the driving force behind India’s Dalit Buddhist movement.

Dr. Ambedkar was also the chairman of the drafting committee tasked with creating a constitution for the newly independent India. He is known as the father of the Indian Constitution for his tireless efforts to integrate untouchables into mainstream society and elevate their status.

Dr. Ambedkar died in his sleep on December 6, 1956, shortly after finishing the final manuscript of Buddha and His Dhamma. In 1990, India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, was bestowed upon him posthumously for his exceptional service to the country and his countrymen.

Here are some fun facts about Dr. BR Ambedkar

1- Dr. BR Ambedkar was a brilliant individual. He had master’s degrees in approximately 64 subjects. The man spoke nine languages and had spent 21 years studying all over the world.

2- He was the first Indian man to pursue a doctorate.

3- While he was known as a Buddhist, few people know that Baba Sahib was born to a Hindu family of the Mahaar caste in Maharashtra. He became a Buddhist in the year 1956.

4- Few people are aware that Waiting for a Visa, his 20-page autobiography, is used as a textbook at Columbia University.

5- He is the only Indian whose statue stands alongside Karl Marx in the London Museum.

6- Dr. BR Ambedkar created the first painting of Lord Buddha with his eyes open. Previously, almost all idols around the world had their eyes closed.

7- Ambedkar was the first lawyer from a lower caste.

8- Ambedkar, whose given name was Ambawadekar, was the only person to stage a Satyagraha for clean water.

9 RBI was conceptualized on 1st April 1935 by the guidelines from Babasaheb Ambedkar’s book “Problem of Rupee:its origin and its solutions”

10 Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar framed many laws for women workers in India such as ‘Mines Maternity Benefit Act’, ‘Women Labour Welfare Fund’, ‘Women and Child Labour Protection Act’, ‘Maternity Benefit for Women Labour’, and ‘Restoration of Ban on Employment of Women on Underground Work in Coal Mines’.