Every year on August 20, Akshay Urja Diwas, also known as the Renewable Energy Day, is held to increase public awareness of the advancements made in India’s use of renewable energy. The late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary is also observed on this day. The Akshay Urja Diwas, which strives to raise public awareness about the usage of natural resources including hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, and biogas, becomes crucial to observe since the earth’s resources continue to diminish at an alarming rate every day.
The History of Akshay Urja Diwas
In India, the Akshay Urja Diwas was started in 2004 with the intention of promoting the use of renewable energy sources in place of conventional energy sources. In New Delhi, the first event of 2004 was planned. In order to encourage the general public to adopt effective and environmentally friendly energy sources, the then-prime minister, Manmohan Singh, released a commemorative stamp featuring 12,000 schoolchildren forming a human chain.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh organised and designed the first awareness campaign, using the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Sources (MNRE) as the driving force.
Significance of Akshay Urja Diwas
The campaign’s main goal is to raise awareness among children and young adults because they are the nation’s future. It focuses on high school and college students as its primary audience. School and college administrations from various regions of the nation organise activities like quiz and art contests, discussions, and cultural events. They also organise protests with environmental awareness posters and banners.
To mark the day, a battery-powered two-wheeler rally was organised in 2012, which was a first of its kind.
Natural resources that replenish more quickly than they are used up, including sunlight and wind, are the source of renewable energy. Data from the United Nations’ official website shows that compared to non-renewable fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, renewable energy sources are currently more affordable in most nations and provide three times as many jobs.
Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is an important way to address climate change and ensure sustainable living.
