The year 2019 marks the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the great saint and founder of the Sikh faith. Guru Nanak’s teachings of love, peace and brotherhood hold universal appeal.Considering the significance of this occasion, the Prime Minister has constituted a National Implementation Committee (NIC) under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister with Finance Minister and Minister of State for Culture as Members, for Commemoration of 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in the country and abroad, in a befitting manner.The National Implementation Committee for Commemoration of 550thBirth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji has held three meetings under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister. The third meeting held on 8th November, 2018 was attended by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Culture, Shri V.P. Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab, Shri S. S. Ahluwalia, Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Shri Navjot Singh Sidhu, Minister of Tourism, Govt. of Punjab besides others.Following this, Central Government has decided that the 550thBirth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be commemorated through a series of activities, commencing in November 2018, throughout the country and across the globe.The Ministries/Departments in the country and the Indian Missions abroad will organise various activities as part of the celebrations.
The important highlights of the programme for commemoration of 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji are the following:
Commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Department of Posts.
Sultanpur Lodhi, where Guru Nanak spent much of his life, will be developed as a heritage city, also incorporating Pind Babe Nanak Da, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with the State Government of Punjab. Ministry of Railways will upgrade Sultanpur Lodhi railway station with modern amenities.
A National Institute of Inter Faith Studies will be set up by Ministry of Human Resource Development in Punjab for which the State Government will provide land free of cost.
Ministry of Electronic and IT will install a high powered telescope in India for the devotees to view Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
Chair on Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Developmentin one University each in UK and Canada.
An International seminar on the life and teachings of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be organised in New Delhi by Ministry of Culture.
States/UTs will also be requested to celebrate 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in a befitting manner. Ministry of Culture will work with the State Governments for this.
The Indian Missions abroad shall organise a series of activities as part of the celebrations.
Ministry of Railways will run a train passing through places associated with Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Religious activities like kirtan, katha, prabhat pheri, langar, etc. will be organised throughout the year both at national and international level, SGPC will draw a calendar of activities and execute it.
Educational activities such as seminars, workshops, lectures, etc. shall be organised throughout the country by Ministry of Human Resource Development in association with SGPC.
Doordarshan will arrange live telecast programme on Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the Gurbani. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariats will be requested to consider telecasting the same through Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV respectively.
Publication of Gurbani in different Indian languages will be made by National Book Trust (NBT), Ministry of Human Resource Development. UNESCO will be requested to translate and publish anthology of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s writings in world languages.