PIBNews/ zigziro.com

The Government of India has decided to undertake the commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. A National Committee under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was constituted to consider policies and to lay down guidelines for the commemoration and to decide on the time frame for the commemoration related activities.

A National Implementation Committee was also constituted in 2010 under the Chairmanship of the then Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee to implement the decisions of the National Committee. On Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s assuming the office of President of India, Defence Minister Shri A.K. Antony has been appointed Chairman of the said National Implementation Committee.

The inaugural function of the year-long commemoration is to be held on 12th January 2013 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan auditorium. President Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the commemoration in the presence of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA, Shri A.K. Antony, Minister of Defence & Chairman NIC, Shri P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance, Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and IT, Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Minister of Culture and Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math.

The programme will consist of addresses by dignitaries on the importance and relevance of this commemoration, in the present context. Children from the Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi will render a singing performance. A set of commemorative coins and commemorative stamps on Swami Vivekananda will also be released on the occasion.

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