India observes National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas on December 23 every year, commemorating its fifth Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and his contributions towards upliftment of farmers in the country.

Chaudhary Charan Singh was a farmer leader. He introduced several policies to ensure improvement in the lives of farmers in the country.

Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Noorpur, Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the Prime Minister of India form July 28, 1979 to January 14, 1980. His efforts towards bettering the lives of farmers in the country won him the title ‘champion of India’s peasants’.

Charan Singh was behind several major farmer-forward Bills like the 1939 Land Utilisation Bill and Debt Redemption Bill. While serving as the Agriculture Minister in 1952, his efforts towards abolishing the Zamindari system in Uttar Pradesh led him to draft the UP Zamindari and Land Reforms Bill.

Kisan Divas is celebrated by organizing various curricular programs like debates, quiz competitions, exhibitions, workshops and essay writing competitions.

On this day, several awareness campaigns are organized across the country to educate people about the lives and contributions of farmers to Indian economy.