2023 - Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh | Commemorative Coin

The 19th commemorative coin for the year 2023 was released to mark the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Panjabrao Alias Bhausaheb Deshmukh.

Panjabrao Shamrao Deshmukh (27 December 1898 – 10 April 1965), also known as Bhausaheb Deshmukh, was a distinguished social activist and a leader dedicated to the welfare of farmers in India.

Born into a farming family in Papal, Amravati district, he received his early education in Papal and later in Amravati. Pursuing higher education, he attended the University of Edinburgh and Oxford, earning his law doctorate in Britain. His research focused on "The dawn of religion and its growth." Returning to Amravati, he commenced his law practice.

In 1930, Deshmukh was elected as a member of the Provincial Law Board, eventually assuming roles in the Ministries of Education, Agriculture, and Co-operative Departments. He actively participated in the committee for the development of the Indian Constitution post-independence. Successfully elected as a Member of Parliament in 1952, 1957, and 1962, he served as the Union Minister of Agriculture from 1952 to 1962.

Deshmukh's contributions extended beyond politics. Noteworthy initiatives included facilitating access to wells for the so-called Untouchables and opening the Shri Ambadevi Temple to the same communities in 1928. He also established the Shraddhanand Hostel for underprivileged students and founded the renowned Shri Shivaji Education Society. Today, the society manages various educational institutions, including a Medical College, Engineering College, and other educational institutes and hostels.

To address the challenges faced by farmers, he founded the "Bharat Krushak Samaj" and advocated its policies through the newspaper "Maharashtra Kesari." Panjabrao Shamrao Deshmukh, a true son of the soil, passed away in 1965.

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